Iniesta Gives Barcelona Cup Win Over 3rd-Tier Team

Barcelona, Spain, Nov 10: Andres Iniesta’s first-half goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 victory at third-tier Hospitalet on Wednesday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey series. Iniesta scored with a long-range shot that dipped out of the reach of goalkeeper Jose Moragon in the 42nd minute on the artificial turf at the Feixa Llarga stadium. Despite a lower-tier opponent, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola sent out a near full-strength lineup that included Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez, David Villa and Carles Puyol, although Lionel Messi is away on international duty. A crowd of 6,294 watched a match that was moved forward to accommodate the Spanish champion’s Club World Cup appearance in December.

Ravichandran Ashwin To Marry Childhood Friend

Chennai, Nov 10 : Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will marry childhood friend Preethi Narayanan on Sunday, his family confirmed. Ashwin and Preethi were engaged earlier this year. Ashwin's father Ravichandran, while reluctant to divulge details, said the marriage, scheduled a day ahead of the second India-West Indies cricket Test in Kolkata, would be restricted to the two families and close friends. Off-spinner Ashwin took nine wickets in his debut Test match that India won against the West Indies in New Delhi on Wednesday. His performance won him the man of the match award. The 25-year old, who made ODI and T20 debuts last year, has gained in status in the past couple of seasons during which he also played a key role in the Chennai Super Kings winning back-to-back titles in the Indian Premier League.