Home-grown youngsters deliver for Barcelona

IF there was one certainty aboutthe first games of the New Year it was that Barcelona would win, and win handsomely.

Levante, their opponents on Sunday, arrived at Camp Nou 16th in La Liga with one away win to their name. Had they been a horse there would have been a stewards’ inquiry after their previous outing — a Christmas beanfeast in Madrid which ended 8-0, with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema serving themselves at will and going back for third helpings.

That was the cup and Sunday was the league, so stiffer resistance was to be expected. Even so, you couldn’t get good odds against Barcelona, even with a three-goal handicap, so it was a genuine shock to see the home team clinging on nervily to a 2-1 lead for the final 15 minutes.