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Goals from Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite and Riqui Puig helped Barcelona pick up a 3-0 victory over Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy. The Blaugrana and the Bianconeri played in front of 3,000 fans at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
The day began with Lionel Messi holding an emotional press conference at the Camp Nou's auditorium. Most of the fans who attended the game paid tribute to their iconic number 10.
The Joan Gamper trophy is the traditional curtain-raiser for the new season at Barcelona and Ronald Koeman named a strong 21-man squad to dispute the game. It was Juventus who started the game on the front foot, but the home side went ahead against the run of play in only the third minute.
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A well-worked team move saw 18-year-old Yusuf Demir slice open the visitors' defense with a pristine through ball. The pass found Memphis Depay, who made no mistake from 12 yards. Juventus then had their first sight of goal in the 13th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo shot straight at Neto from a tight angle.
Demir was lively in the opening half hour and thought he had doubled Barcelona's lead in the 19th minute after another brilliant team move. However, the goal was chalked off for offside in the buildup. The youngster then forced Wojciech Szczesny into a fine save with a left-footed shot in the 27th minute.
Ronaldo stung the palms of Neto with a free-kick from 45 yards in what proved to be the last act of an eventful first half.
Juventus came flying out of the blocks in the second half in their bid for an equalizer. But just like in the first half, it was once again Barcelona who found the back of the net against the run of play. An unmarked Martin Braithwaite rose highest to head home Depay's corner kick in the 57th minute to double Barcelona's lead.
A raft of changes by both managers on the hour mark ebbed the tempo of the game. But Barcelona still managed to find a third goal in the second minute of injury time.
Riqui Puig picked up a pass from Nico Gonzalez on the edge of the area and showed great technique to control and skip past his marker. He then turned around to rifle a left-footed curler into the top corner.
The victory saw Barcelona lift the Joan Gamper trophy for the 44th time and ninth consecutive year. Up next for the Blaugrana will be a visit from Real Sociedad in their opening league game on August 15. Juventus, on the other hand, will kickstart their Serie A campaign in a fortnight against Udinese.
Here are five talking points from the game:
#5 The post-Messi era begins at Barcelona
Lionel Messi's emotional global press conference earlier in the day was the definitive moment signifying the end of an era at the Camp Nou.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has become so intertwined with the Blaugrana in the last two decades that imagining a future without him seemed impossible. However, that future is now, albeit much sooner than expected. The Catalan giants now have to turn their attention towards planning for a successful future post-Messi.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that fans could not throng into the Estadi Johan Cruyff to pay their respects to Messi. However, the few thousand in attendance played their part and gave a standing ovation in honor of their icon in the 10th minute.
#4 Memphis Depay continues his fine run of form with Barcelona
Memphis Depay's arrival at Barcelona came a year late, with the club having failed to land the Netherlands international last year due to financial constraints. The 27-year-old arrived at Camp Nou this summer with a point to prove, given his disastrous big-money spell at Manchester United earlier in his career.
Depay's ability is not in question but Lionel Messi's abrupt exit from Barcelona has put extra pressure on the former Lyon man. He will now be expected to step up his game to considerable heights in Messi's absence. Depay has started well in pre-season, with three goals scored in four games.
He opened the scoring for Barcelona against Juventus with a perfectly placed left-footed shot. Depay also provided the assist from which Braithwaite doubled their lead.
There is obviously a world of difference between exhibition fixtures and competitive games. However, Memphis Depay's impressive displays will put him in a confident mood ahead of his official debut.
#3 Neto brings his A-game for Barcelona
That Barcelona kept a clean sheet against Juventus had little to do with their defensive organization and a lot to do with their goalkeeper's heroics.
Neto was virtually a brick wall between the sticks and proved to be up to the task with everything thrown at him. Juventus sliced open the Barcelona defense time and again only to be denied by the brilliant Brazilian. Neto made six saves on the night against his former employers to preserve his side's clean sheet.
The pick of the bunch came at the start of the second half. Neto's instinctive reflexes saw him dive low to his left to keep out Federico Chiesa's snap shot that was destined for the bottom corner.
#2 Riqui Puig sends a statement of intent to Ronald Koeman
Riqui Puig was one of the few bright spots in Quique Setien's disastrous half-season in charge of Barcelona. The midfielder was undoubtedly one of the Catalan's best players post-lockdown in 2020. It was expected that the La Masia graduate will build on that to become a mainstay in midfield but that has not been the case.
Riqui Puig is well-versed in the demands of Barcelona, having spent most of his formative years at the club. However, Ronald Koeman has pointedly stated that the 21-year-old is not part of his plans and has given him the green light to seek playing time elsewhere.
This has created a sort of impasse, as Puig himself is adamant about proving himself at his boyhood club. A large section of the fanbase is also in support of the Spaniard and has turned against Koeman for his actions.
That Puig has not had more minutes has not been for want of trying on his part. The Spain U-21 international has made the most of the limited time he has gotten on the field. It has been the case once again in pre-season and he has two goals from five games, despite starting just one of those games.
Puig was brought on with 20 minutes to go against Juventus but he managed to get on the scoresheet and the full range of his abilities were on display. He received the ball 20 yards out with his back to goal and took one touch to set himself up and evade a tackle behind him. Puig then expertly placed the ball into the top left corner.
A one-time finish on his weaker foot made the goal all the more impressive. It would have given Ronald Koeman something to think about as the cameras zoomed in on him after the wonder strike.
With his displays in pre-season, Riqui Puig has sent a huge statement of intent to play a starring role for Barcelona this term. Whether Koeman takes heed remains to be seen.
#1 Sharp Cristiano Ronaldo was Juventus' brightest spark in the first half
Cristiano Ronaldo was a thorn in the flesh for Barcelona for nine years as a Real Madrid player. The Portugal international continued his good run against the Catalans with a brace in the colors of Juventus when they met last year in the Champions League group stage.
The 36-year-old started this game brightly and had the first shot on target for Juventus early on. He also forced a save from Neto with a well-taken free-kick on the stroke of halftime. Ronaldo's presence and movement proved too much for the Barcelona defense to handle and it came as no surprise that Juventus were the more dominant side in the first half.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was substituted at halftime and the Bianconeri unsurprisingly lost their way in attack.
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