Cádiz 1 - Barcelona 3

Cádiz: Armando; Varela, De Quintana, De la Cuesta, Mario Silva; Fleurquín, Suárez (Manolo Pérez 57'); Enrique, Pavón (Mirosavljevic 78'), Jonathan Sesma; Oli (Estoyanoff 57'). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Oleguer, Puyol, Márquez, Van Bronckhorst; Iniesta (Motta 75'), Edmilson, Deco; Giuly (Larsson 65'), Eto'o, Messi (Ezquerro 82'). 4-3-3.

Team changes: Cádiz: Jonathan Sesma for Iván Anía / Barça: Márquez, Van Bronckhorst, Deco, Giuly for Belletti, Sylvinho, Gabri, Ronaldinho.

Goals:
0-1. 32. Giuly. Ran on to Iniesta pass and lifted ball over advancing keeper.
0-2. 45. Eto'o (penalty). After De la Cuesta tripped Márquez in penalty area.
0-3. 49. Eto'o. Poked shot past Armando after Messi laid ball back from goal line.
1-3. 91. Mirosavljevic. Took Enrique pass to beat Valdés after rapid free kick.

Barcelona's timing is impeccable at the moment. The ancient port of Cádiz seems as good a place as any to make history. On Saturday evening Barça ran up their twelfth consecutive victory to beat the club record set in the fifties during the era of the legendary Kubala. Ronaldinho had gone down with flu but was barely missed as new star Leo Messi shone in what was ultimately a comfortable victory.

When Barça last came to La Carranza on league duty in the early nineties the Dream Team suffered a 4-0 nightmare in Cádiz. This time round the home side gave as well as they got in the opening half hour when Enrique had a shot blocked. Soon afterwards Valdés cut out a dangerous cross to deny the same player a scoring chance. Sesma was causing Barça problems with his crosses from the left. Pavoni missed a great chance to put the Gaditanos ahead on the half hour when he failed to connect properly with a free header only six yards out.

Cádiz were soon left to wonder about what might have been. Only two minutes later a fine measured pass from Iniesta put Guily through and the Frenchmen coolly clipped the ball over Armando into the net. Just on half time Eto'o converted a penalty at the second attempt. It had to be retaken as Barça players had already advanced into the area. The referee spotted this although Armando was also several yards of his line by the time Eto'o took the first kick. However, Eto'o kept cool under the pressure and slotted the retake into the other corner.

The second half had an air of formality about it. Barça tied up the points just after the break when Messi superbly set up Eto'o for his second of the game. A fine save from Armando later denied the African his hat trick and Larsson also missed chances to reverse the score line of the Catalan's last league encounter in Cádiz.

The home side scored a late goal through Nenad Mirosavljevic to give the home fans something to cheer. But Cádiz are in freefall right now after their fourth straight defeat. They now find themselves in the heart of the relegation battle after a fine start to the season.