Madrid (AFP)
FC Barcelona won their first friendly match of the 2020-2021 preseason this Saturday at the Johan Cruyff stadium 3-1 against Nastic Tarragona (Spanish D3), the day of the resumption of La Liga in Spain.
Barça won thanks to two goals from French internationals Ousmane Dembélé (5th) and Antoine Griezmann (17th, on penalty), and an achievement on penalty from Philippe Coutinho (51st), despite the goal of Javi Bonilla (30th) for Tarragona.
Dembélé scored again in the Blaugrana jersey almost a year after his last goal (October 6, 2019), after a season undermined by consecutive quadriceps injuries.
Lionel Messi, holder and consolidated as captain alongside Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto for the 2020-2021 season, then let Antoine Griezmann strike and transform the first penalty, after his three consecutive failed attempts with the Blues.
A great actor in the summer football soap opera after announcing on August 25 that he wanted to unilaterally end his contract with the Catalan club, with whom he is still linked until June 30, 2021, Lionel Messi was well present for this first preseason meeting of Barça, the same day of the resumption of La Liga in Spain, unlike his South American teammates Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal, not selected.
According to the Catalan press, these two players would not be part of the plans of the new coach Ronald Koeman, and are announced on the side of Italy.
Koeman completely upset his initial eleven after the break, as announced, to test eleven new players in the second period, including Frenkie de Jong, Philippe Coutinho or Martin Braithwaite, for example.
FC Barcelona will have a few extra days of preparation, as will Getafe, Sevilla (C3), Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid (C1) and Elche (La Liga accession playoffs), as these teams have finished their season more late than other formations.
Barca's first La Liga game will take place on the weekend of September 26-27 against Villarreal.
© 2020 AFP