FC Barcelona beats Betis 3-2 in Spanish league

The Associated Press , Madrid | Thu, 09/25/2008 3:14 AM | Sports

Eidur Gudjohnsen scored a late goal to give Wednesday FC Barcelona a 3-2 win over Real Betis which continued the Catalan powerhouse's recovery from a poor start to the Spanish league season.

Gudjohnsen found the net in the 80th after teammate Samuel Eto'o scored two first-half goals in Barcelona's victory, which came three days after it thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1.

Fabian Monzon and Jose Mari Romero scored Betis' goals as the visitors rallied in the second half.

Barcelona, which failed to win its opening two league games in its worst start for 35 years, has seven points from four games.

Villarreal has 10 points after downing Racing Santander 2-0.

Joan Capdevila and Joseba Llorente scored first-half goals at Villarreal's El Madrigal stadium as the home team maintained its unbeaten start to the season.

Also, Osasuna drew 0-0 with Deportivo La Coruna.

Wednesday's late games were: Real Madrid vs. Sporting Gijon; Sevilla vs. Espanyol; and Getafe vs. Atletico Madrid.

On Thursday, it's: Malaga vs. Valencia; Valladolid vs. Almeria; Recreativo Huelva vs. Athletic Bilbao; and Mallorca vs. Numancia.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, celebrating the 100th day of his tenure, rested captain Carles Puyol and left striker Thierry Henry on the bench. Henry had missed the game at Gijon due to illness.

Eto'o scored in the 17th minute when he created space after receiving Lionel Messi's pass before firing a rising shot into the roof of the net.

Messi helped produce the Cameroon striker's second goal six minutes late, the Argentina forward sending in a low cross which Eto'o clipped home at the near post.

With Barcelona seemingly relaxing, Betis scored its first goal of the season in the 59th minute when Monzon fired home after receiving Jesus "Capi" Capitan's tapped free kick.

The visitors stunned Barcelona by eualizing eight minutes later through striker Jose Mari, who broke free of the defense and chipped over goalkeeper Victor Valdes and into the net.

Guardiola replaced Eto'o and Seydou Keita with Bojan Krkic and Gudjohnsen in the 71st, and the coach was rewarded nine minutes later when the Iceland internationl slid in to turn Daniel Alves' cross into goal.

Villarreal gave Santander little hope of gaining its first win of the season by racing into a two-goal lead.

Capdevila headed the first goal home in the 29th minute when the Spain defender met Angel Lopez's cross from the right.

Striker Llorente scoed his second goal in three days by racing in to deliver a powerful header five minutes later, again from Angel's cross.

Osasuna failed to take advantage of the dismissal of Deportivo midfielder Julian De Guzman in the 52nd and remains winless this season.

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