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Barcelona began their Champions League campaign with an impressive 5-1 victory at the Camp Nou against Hungarian champion Ferencvaros on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 27th minute before goals on either side of halftime from Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho made Barça disappear.
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Ferencvaros briefly returned to the game when Ihor Kharatin scored from the spot in the 70th minute after Gerard Piqué was sent off for knocking down Tokmac Nguen. However, even with 10 men, Ronald Koeman’s side was too strong for their visitors and late goals from substitutes Pedri and Ousmane Dembele put the shine on a comfortable victory.
Positive
Messi led this Barça performance, scoring one and preparing another, but it was the performance of the younger generation that will enthuse the club’s fans. In Fati and Pedri, two 17-year-olds hit the mark, while Francisco Trincao, 20, did well in his full debut on the right wing.
It took Barça a while to get going, but once Messi gave them the advantage, he exuded confidence. Coutinho’s goal came to the end of a six-minute streak of sustained possession as the Catalans turned the ball over in a way that will please Koeman.
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2 Related negatives
Piqué and Clement Lenglet had trouble dealing with Nguen’s speed all night and ended up with Piqué being unnecessarily sent off. With Barca up 3-0, he didn’t need to bring down Nguen, but he did, earning a red card and shooting a penalty in the process. What’s worse, he will miss next week’s game in Turin against Juventus.
Manager rating out of 10
7 – Koeman finally found the right balance in attack. With Fati on the left and Trincao on the right, Barça was not so predictable. The contribution of substitutes Pedri and Dembélé also showed that he is managing to keep all his attacking options motivated.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players submitted after 70 minutes are not rated)
Net GK, 6 – Despite conceding a penalty and seeing Ferencvaros, who posed a threat at half-time, hit the crossbar, he didn’t have many difficult saves to make.
DF Sergi Roberto, 6 – He benefited from having a genuine winger in front of him until he was taken away with a minor problem. The Barça will hope to be in form for Saturday Classic against Real Madrid.
DF Gerard Piqué, 5 – He didn’t need to commit the foul that sent him off. Barça had already won the match, and Ferencvaros scored a penalty anyway.
DF Clemente Lenglet, 6 – Like Piqué, he struggled with Nguen’s pace, but took a step forward in the last 20 minutes when Barça were a light man.
DF Sergino Dest, 7 – The United States international already looks completely at home on this side. He played one hour as a left back and the last 30 minutes as a right back.
MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 years old – The minutes were more important than the performance of the Bosnian midfielder in his full debut with his new club.
MF Frenkie de Jong, 7 – A more controlled performance in midfield than on Saturday against Getafe. He produced a good chipped pass to prepare for Ansu’s goal.
Lionel Messi was once again the protagonist of the Champions League, scoring one goal and assisting another in the 5-1 victory. Getty
DEL Francisco Trincao, 7 – It took him a while to get going, but he showed a lot of tricks and technique once he did. He brought a threat on the right that Barça have not had this season.
DEL Philippe Coutinho, 6 – He took his goal well and was very involved on the play, but often entertained on the ball rather than making simple passes.
FW Ansu Fati, 8 – At just 18 years old until the end of the month, he became the youngest player to score two goals in the Champions League. He followed his goal with a good assist from Coutinho as well.
OF Lionel Messi, 9 – Unstoppable when launched. He beat three players before winning the penalty he converted to open the scoring and convert it into goals in 16 consecutive Champions League campaigns. After that, Barça relaxed and was the focus of all their best moments, including setting up Dembélé’s goal.
Substitutions
FW Pedri, 6 – An unforgettable night for the 17-year-old, who scored his first goal for Barcelona on his Champions League debut.
DF Junior Firpo, 6 – He made his first appearance of the season after returning from a hamstring problem.
FW Ousmane Dembele, 7 – He showed great pace and decision-making to score Pedri’s goal, before taking his own goal very well at the end.
Source: espn.co.uk
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