The last preseason match before the La Liga season begins ended in a spectacular way after Barca trashed Juventus in the Gamper Trophy curtain raiser. Juventus were earlier picked to grace the annual fixture this year.
But, of course the match was bitter sweet for football fans because yesterday happened to be that D-DAY when the club's greatest player, Lionel Messi officially said goodbye to his childhood club.
The game started off with Juventus almost getting the upper hand, taking the ball to the Catalans when the referee blew the whistle.
However, FC Barcelona was able to surmount the early pressures and launched a counter of their own. Demir received the ball from Juventus half and instantly played a pass across to the advancing Depay.
The Netherland player quickly moved the ball forward to the opponents box before burying the ball inside the back of the net in the 3rd minute of the game to give Barca a 1-0 lead in the opening half.
Both teams pressured each other from that moment, and Barca would have added their second of the night if not for a close offside call on Griezmann; Demir already scored the goal but it was disallowed.
In the second half of the game, Barca mounted counters and the pressing got them a corner kick. The resultant kick was headed into the back by Braithwaite who towered above everyone else in the area to hammer the ball past Shezny.
Ronald Koeman had to make key changes in the second half when Juventus started taking the upper hand and looked like they were going to get a goal. His changes were on the spot, and in the final minutes of the match, Riqui Puig pulled a golazo with a powerful shot from his left foot. It was a wonderful goal for a memorable day.
The match ended 3-0 in favour of Barca. It was a wonderful game, with a lot of team effort. But, much thanks will go to Neto (Man of the Match) who continuously stopped goal bound attempts, especially from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Griezmann was also instrumental in the game, controlling the attack as well as tracking back whenever he can to help in defense. The team will now shift attention to the upcoming league campaign.
