Mueez Ajao
Barca start life without Messi with a win
– Barcelona won their first LaLiga match of the post-Lionel Messi era with a 4-2 victory that saw Real Sociedad mount a late rally.
– Their season-opening match at Camp Nou came after a drama-filled week that saw club legend Messi, who had been with Barca for 21 years, join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
– Gerard Pique scored Barca’s first goal on the night with a close-range header from Memphis Depay’s free kick delivery in the 19th minute.
– Martin Braithwaite doubled Barca’s lead just seconds before half-time with a back-post header off a delivery from Frenkie de Jong.
– Braithwaite made it two on the night for him when he scored in the 59th minute after goalkeeper Alex Remiro palmed the ball into the path of the Danish striker.
– La Real pulled one back in the 82nd minute when Julen Lobete scored, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring three minutes later on a stunning free-kick to cut Barca’s lead to one. However, Sergio Roberto scored in the waning moments to secure the three points.
– The match the return of fans to Camp Nou in 17 months, with 20,000 supporters in attendance. Some fans hung a series of banners at the stadium attacking Barcelona president Joan Laporta for his role in Messi’s departure.
