Barca beats Madrid with late winner from Messi

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi scored two goals, including the late winner, and Barcelona won its 10th Spanish Supercup with a 3-2 victory over bitter rival Real Madrid that ended with both benches brawling on the field.

Messi volleyed Adriano's cross past Iker Casillas for the 87th minute winner to finish off a move started by recent arrival Cesc Fabregas, who made his Barcelona debut.

Messi fed Andres Iniesta for the 15th-minute opener before scoring his first before the break. Madrid twice rallied through goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema before Messi clinched the 5-4 aggregate victory.

Tensions on the hot, humid night at Camp Nou reached a climax in injury time as players and coaching staff brawled on the field after Madrid defender Marcelo's hasty challenge on Fabregas.

Players pushed and shoved each other after the ugly tackle in front of the benches and Madrid coach Jose Mourinho appearing to stick his hand into Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova's eye during the melee.

After the players and coaching staff were separated and three red cards were handed out, Barcelona lifted its third straight Supercup and first in five tries against Madrid. That gave Pep Guardiola his 11th major piece of silverware, tying Johan Cruyff as the club's most successful coach.

"For a preseason game to be played at this level? That was enormous," Guardiola said. "Even when we won 5-0 against them last year I never thought we were so superior. It's always been a very difficult matchup for the history between the clubs."

After Ronaldo nearly put the visitors ahead in the opening seconds, Barcelona scored first as Messi slipped a perfect through ball for Andres Iniesta to chip over goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the 15th-minute opener as Barcelona's pinpoint passing — led by playmaker Xavi Hernandez — exploited the space between Madrid's defensive lines.

Five minutes later, Ronaldo steered Benzema's low cross beyond goalkeeper Victor Valdes for the Portugal forward's first goal to the Camp Nou in five visits.

Messi then capped a superb move in the 45th when Gerard Pique sent a short backheel inside the box and into the path of the Argentina forward who continued his run toward the right corner before sending a shot back over Casillas and inside the far post.

In the 81st, Benzema was in a perfect poaching position to tie it again before Messi capped the spiteful match with his record eighth Supercup goal.

"I won't say we're not happy about not winning the Supercup because that would make me a hypocrite," said Mourinho, who brushed off questions about his on-field actions. "I'm very happy with the evolution of the team."

source: http://news.yahoo.com/barca-beats-madrid-winner-messi-230701969.html;_ylt=Ati3p8VVRP.fjjXss1J3_CZ2yLQF;_ylu=X3oDMTM1aGx0NDN1BHBrZwNhMGE5MjgzNC02MTQxLTM5YWQtODcyOS0xOWNkYjllNDUzZTUEcG9zAzUEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDODhkN2E3MTAtYzkzYy0xMWUwLWEyZTctODM1MzBkZTIxZGNm;_ylg=X3oDMTIxc3JwNm11BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANzcG9ydHN8c29jY2VyBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3