Isco header with 4 minutes left gives win over Betis. Pepe Mel’s side let Madrid off the hook in a first half in which it had many chances to wrap up a victory.

Not without a little suffering did Real Madrid manage to win the first game of the new season, 2-1 against Betis, on Sunday night. It took a superb header from Isco four minutes from time to seal the win, but Madrid left a lot of questions unanswered. Earlier, Betis was first into the lead and could have had the game won by half time.

Pepe Mel’s side let Madrid off the hook in a first half in which it had many chances to wrap up a victory. Jorge Molina put the Seville-based club ahead just before the 15-minute mark when he took advantage of a slack Madrid midfield and defence. The home side did not take long to equalise through Karim Benzema just 9 minutes later, but never really convinced anyone that it had ironed out its initial problems.

It was not until the closing minutes, as Betis was forced more and more onto the back foot, that Isco Alarcón, one of Madrid’s star signings this summer, met a Marcelo cross from the left to win the game with a well-placed header.

It was a cruel punishment for a Betis side that deserved a lot more and paid for missed chances after having Real Madrid against the ropes at one stage, something that happens all too frequently in the Santiago Bernabéu. For Real Madrid, it was a relief to get the season off to a winning start, but the performance was not the type expected by the home crowd and things will have to improve in the coming weeks.

According to Marca

Gerardo Martino enjoyed a comfortable competitive debut as the Barcelona coach when the La Liga champions demolished Levante 7-0 in their season opener at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

Dani Alves celebrates after scoring Barcelona’s third goal against Levante. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

The World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, and the Spain striker Pedro each scored twice, while the new €57m signing Neymar started on the bench and came on as a 63rd-minute substitute with the game already won.

Barça made a whirlwind start, scoring four times in the opening 26 minutes as the team responded to Martino’s calls for greater intensity in their pressing game and a more direct approach.

The outstanding Cesc Fábregas squared for Alexis Sánchez to tap in the opener in the third minute and Messi exchanged passes with Pedro to stroke in the second.

Dani Alves struck the third after another slick passing move on the edge of the area, and Pedro – who started wide on the left of the attack, keeping Neymar on the bench – added the fourth.

Adriano was brought down for a penalty in the 42nd minute, which Messi converted, and Fábregas set up Xavi with an extravagant looping pass over the defence for the sixth just before the break.

It was a limp display from the cash-strapped visitors under their new coach, Joaquín Caparrós, who could derive comfort only from a string of saves by their goalkeeper, Keylor Navas.

The Brazil forward Neymar was given a rousing reception when he came on for his competitive debut and showed a few neat touches but it was Pedro who scored the seventh after a mix-up in the Levante defence in the 73rd minute.

According to Guardian

Jose Mourinho marked his return as Chelsea manager with a 2-0 win over Premier League new boys Hull City at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho’s side were gifted an early chance to get their season off to the perfect start when referee Jonathan Moss pointed to the spot following Hull goalkeeper Alan McGregor’s collision with Fernando Torres. However, the Scottish international was able to redeem himself, pulling off a fine save to deny Frank Lampard from 12 yards.

The hosts controlled the opening stages of the game, with their pressure paying off on the 12 minute mark when Brazil midfielder Oscar poked the ball under McGregor after being played in by Kevin de Bruyne.

Lampard atoned for his spot-kick miss to double Chelsea’s lead with a long-range free-kick midway through the first-half as the Blues threatened to run riot. He was then unlucky not to make it three just before the break when McGregor denied him with a smart save before Branislav Ivanovic was also thwarted by the Scotsman who palmed away his powerful header.

As the hour mark approached, Hull boss Steve Bruce introduced new signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore who both arrived from Tottenham earlier this week. The Tigers put in a spirited display after the interval and they came closest to pulling one back when Petr Cech caught Curtis Davies’ goal-bound header.

Despite Hull’s resilience as the game drew on, chances for either side were few and far between as Mourinho enjoyed a winning start to his second spell in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge.

Belgium forward de Bruyne has been a Chelsea player since January 2012 and finally made his competitive debut behind Torres, who was preferred up front to Romelu Lukaku.

McGregor saved from Eden Hazard before felling Torres with a clumsy challenge which conceded a penalty.

Lampard saw his spot-kick saved, but it appeared only a matter of time before the visiting defence was breached.

Hazard received the ball on the left, cut inside and found De Bruyne, who fed the on-running Oscar and the Brazilian prodded underneath the advancing McGregor.

Bruce – Chelsea a constant threatHull City manager Steve Bruce gives his thoughts after the newly-promoted team were beaten by Chelsea.
The Scot again denied Lampard, this time from the edge of the area, as Chelsea pressed forward relentlessly in search of a second.

It came after Torres was awarded a dubious free-kick 30 yards out, against James Chester.
Lampard’s rapier-like strike dipped into the top corner past McGregor and Chelsea’s record goalscorer wheeled away, racing towards the dugout and his manager.

Mourinho turned his back, though, focusing on what would happen next and leaving Lampard to celebrate with his team-mates.

Hull will have less difficult days than this in the top flight, but they did little to help themselves, giving possession away cheaply.

Lampard had another shot saved as half-time approached and, from a corner, Ivanovic had a header blocked on the line by McGregor.

There was no reaction from referee Moss, whose watch did not buzz – it would alert him if the ball had crossed the line – and Hull were relieved to be only two down.
Chelsea were content to bide their time in the opening exchanges of the second period and home goalkeeper Petr Cech was required to make a save for the first time when Robert Koren shot straight at him.

The Tigers were fortunate not to concede a second penalty when Ivanovic was pushed over by Robbie Brady before Hull appealed in vain for handball when Yannick Sagbo’s shot was driven at Lampard’s chest.

The arrivals of Huddlestone and Livermore gave Hull more of a midfield presence and Cech was forced into another save when Ahmed El Mohamady’s right-wing cross found Curtis Davies, whose header extended the goalkeeper.

Andre Schurrle and Lukaku replaced De Bruyne and Torres as Mourinho sought a fresh impetus which never came.

Schurrle chipped over when played through by Ramires but Mourinho had to be content with a 2-0 victory.

According to Skysports

Ligue 1, Parc des Princes – PSG 1 (Cavani 86) Ajaccio 1 (Pedretti 9).

Edinson Cavani scored his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain as they left it late to rescue a 1-1 draw against Ajaccio.

The €64million (£55m) man rifled in an 86th minute equaliser after Benoit Pedretti had gifted the visitors a shock lead with their first attack of game.

But despite their dominance, in which the home side fired in 39 shots compared to Ajaccio’s one, Laurent Blanc’s men struggled to find a way past an inspired Guillermo Ochoa in goal.
Thiago Silva rattled the crossbar twice and Alex saw his header cleared off the line by goalscorer Pedretti as the second half quickly descended into a relentless attacking onslaught.
Ezequiel Lavezzi had a late penalty shout waved away but former Marseille favourite Fabrizio Ravanelli had the last laugh as he returned to haunt the reigning French champions.

According to Yahoo

Borussia Dortmund made it two wins from two in the Bundesliga but left it late to see off the challenge of battling Eintracht Braunschweig with a 2-1 home win.

Substitute Jonas Hofmann finally broke Braunschweig’s resistance in the 75th minute before a Marco Reus penalty four minutes from time eased Dortmund further clear.
Braunschweig pulled a late goal back when Kevin Kratz’s glancing header deflected in off the head of home striker Robert Lewandowski to give the visitors some hope, but Dortmund held on to move into a five-team share of top spot in the Bundesliga.
Braunschweig were unfortunate to lose 1-0 to Werder Bremen in their first match and they can count themselves equally unlucky not to come away with something from their trip to the Westfalenstadion.
They made a brave and bold start to the game with Dennis Kruppke going close to silencing the 81,000 fans in the fourth minute.
Dortmund struggled to get their usual game going and it was no surprise that coach Jurgen Klopp sent Reus on for the second half.
He made an immediate impression and also put the ball into the back of the net in the 66th minute, although his effort was ruled out for offside.
It sparked a five-minute spell of total dominance which saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang send a shot over that he would almost certainly have scored from a week ago, when he marked his debut with a hat-trick.
He was subsequently removed and replaced by Hofmann, who scored with practically his first touch.
The 21-year-old exchanged passes with Mats Hummels before sending his shot in off the base of the far post.
Hofmann then earned a penalty as he was fouled by Ermin Bicakcic inside the area and Reus stepped up to make it 2-0 with less than five minutes to go.
That was only just enough to win the game, though, as a Mirko Boland corner was only glanced by the head of Kratz with Lewandowski unwittingly but decisively diverting the ball into his own goal.

According to Foxsports