An expedient performance by Barcelona

Barcelona worked to edge past Sporting in a game that proved the Catalans' efficiency despite not being at their best.

Barcelona walked out to a an electrifying Jose Alvarade stadium looking to extend their impressive start to the season, but were met by a demanding Sporting side also aiming to keep up their relentless run of form.
Two opposing styles of play which were clear from the first whistle, Barcelona tried to dance the Sporting defence with their fluid passing while the hosts were a constant threat on the break.
Barca saw much of the ball and enjoyed plentiful chances, but failed to carve open the hosts who were always poised to sneak a win on the counter-attack.
Even with possession, Valverde's team struggled to create decent openings to beat Rui Patricio. The hosts' pace on the break continued to trouble the Barca backline in an intense first half which came to a close with no clear chances for either side. Barcelona, however, found the breakthrough straight after the break.
Valverde's team had not managed to pose enough of a threat in open play and it was from a set-piece that they took the lead. Messi curled a dangerous ball into the middle and Luis Suarez got a touch before the ball came off Coates. The Uruguayan striker wheeled off in celebration despite the ball coming off the helpless defender and into his own net.
Having been fortunate enough to take the lead, Barcelona began to knock the ball around. Ther hosts seemed frustrated as they rushed into challenges with up to three Sporting players going into the book in the minutes following the goal.
There was a strange lack of urgency when attacking from the home side, before they pushed forward in a late surge in search of the equaliser. Barca were in no way at the top of their game as they withstood the home side's onslaught to try to put the game out of reach on the counter.
Ter Stegen stood in the way of the Portuguese side when he was eventually called to action, when Bruno Fernandes was awarded the best chance of the game. Sergi Roberto was dispossessed and Bas Dost rather unselfishly squared the ball inside the box for the playmaker whose strike was too close to the German keeper.
Following Sporting's good spell of pressure, and with over ten minutes still to go, the Catalans got a hold of the ball, happy to keep it as the game petered out.
Paulinho had a chance late on to give his team a comfortable two-goal lead but the Sporting stopper spread himself brilliantly to deny the Brazilian. Not in the prettiest way, Barcelona got the job done to continue their 100 per cent record and take command of Group D.