Real Madrid's Guti celebrates after he scored against Villarreal during their Spanish First Division soccer match at the Madrigal Stadium in Villarreal yesterday. - REUTERSMADRID, Spain (AP)
Defending champion Real Madrid trounced Villarreal 5-0 yesterday to maintain its perfect start to the season as tributes to Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta were paid at every Spanish league game.
Midfielder Wesley Sneijder scored twice and Raul Gonzalez, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jose Maria 'Guti' Gutierrez added a goal apiece at Villarreal's El Madrigal Stadium to lift Madrid to six points from two games under new coach Bernd Schuster.
Earlier, FC Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 for its first victory of the season. The powerhouse has four points, level with Mallorca and promoted teams Murcia and Valladolid.
Ronaldinho, captaining Barcelona in the absence of the injured Carles Puyol, scored from a ninth-minute free kick and converted a 36th-minute penalty for the team's first goals of the season. Yaya Toure scored the team's third.
Other second-round results were: Atletico Madrid 1, Mallorca 1; Almeria 1, Valencia 2; Real Betis 2, Espanyol 2; Valladolid 2, Deportivo La Coruna 2; and Getafe 1, Recreativo Huelva 1.
Somber music was played before matches as a mark of respect for Puerta. The Spanish international died Tuesday after suffering a prolonged cardiac arrest following a collapse during Sevilla's game with Getafe last week.
At Betis, Sevilla's fierce crosstown rival, a prayer was read out over the loudspeakers while spectators held up cards displaying black bows.
Several teams entered the field wearing T-shirts bearing Puerta's name and No. 16, while some supporters displayed banners expressing sadness over the player's sudden passing.
Sevilla's game at Osasuna, which was originally scheduled for today, was postponed following Puerta's death.
