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Barcelona routs Villarreal 5-0 in Spanish opener

By Associated Press
SHARE Barcelona routs Villarreal 5-0 in Spanish opener
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, falls after scores against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, falls after scores against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
1 of 7
FC Barcelona's Eric Abidal, right, duels for the ball against Villarreal's goalkeeper Diego Lopez, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Eric Abidal, right, duels for the ball against Villarreal’s goalkeeper Diego Lopez, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
2 of 7
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball for scores against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball for scores against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
3 of 7
FC Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara, right, reacts after scoring against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara, right, reacts after scoring against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
4 of 7
FC Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas, left, duels for the ball against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, left, duels for the ball against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
5 of 7
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, takes a shot against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, takes a shot against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
6 of 7
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, reacts after scoring against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, reacts after scoring against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

Manu Fernandez, Associated Press
7 of 7
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, falls after scores against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Eric Abidal, right, duels for the ball against Villarreal's goalkeeper Diego Lopez, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball for scores against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara, right, reacts after scoring against Villarreal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas, left, duels for the ball against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, takes a shot against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, reacts after scoring against Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi and Thiago Alcantara led Barcelona to a dominating 5-0 win over Villarreal on Monday to open the defending champion's campaign for a fourth straight Spanish league title.

Despite a makeshift defense and coming off a European Super Cup victory just three days before, Barcelona responded to Real Madrid's 6-0 rout of Zaragoza over the weekend with another display of its own beautiful game.

Thiago struck first for the European champions, and Cesc Fabregas doubled the score from an assist from Messi before halftime.

The 20-year-old Thiago then found new signing Alexis Sanchez to extend Barcelona's advantage, and Messi capped the victory at Camp Nou with a pair of goals from passes from Iniesta and Thiago.

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