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Lionel Messi began and performed 45 minutes in Barcelona’s first pre-season pleasant on Saturday as Ronald Koeman confirmed no hesitation in reintegrating the Argentinian. Barca beat third tier aspect Gimnastic Tarragona 3-1, with Ousmane Dembele opening the scoring on his first look since November. Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, who was additionally returning after his mortgage spell at Bayern Munich, then every scored penalties, both aspect of Javier Bonilla pulling one again for the guests.
But Messi’s return on the Johan Cruyff Stadium was maybe the largest plus for Koeman, who was taking cost of his first sport since being appointed coach final month.
Messi additionally led the workforce out carrying the armband after Barcelona had confirmed earlier on Saturday that he’ll proceed as captain this season.
Both membership and participant seem eager to placed on a united entrance, no less than for now, forward of their return to La Liga later this month.
After condemning the board final week and admitting he had been pressured to remain, Messi arrived early on Monday for his return to pre-season coaching and labored on the squad’s days off in a bid to catch up.
Koeman, in the meantime, stated final month he solely needed gamers who needed to be at Barcelona however he was filled with reward for Messi on Friday, calling him “the best”, and backed that up in his first workforce choice.
Messi performed 45 minutes as a part of Koeman’s plan to area two totally different line-ups in every half.
Yet his beginning entrance three of Messi, Griezmann and Dembele appeared suspiciously like a first-choice assault, with Dembele making his first look since he tore his hamstring 9 months in the past.
Koeman additionally handed begins to kids Carles Alena and Pedri in midfield whereas Jordi Alba, Clement Lenglet, Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto fashioned a well-recognized again 4, forward of Neto, who’s standing in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in purpose.
New signing Francisco Trincao, Coutinho, Frenkie de Jong and 19-year-old American worldwide Konrad de la Fuente have been amongst these to return on for the second half.
There was no place within the squad for both Luis Suarez or Arturo Vidal, who’ve each been instructed they will depart.
Barcelona won’t play their first La Liga sport towards Villarreal till spherical three on the finish of the month, having been granted additional day without work because of their involvement in final season’s Champions League.
Reigning champions Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are additionally sitting out the primary weekend.
But seven video games are scheduled this Saturday and Sunday, the primary of them ending goalless between Eibar and Celta Vigo.
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Still with out followers as a result of coronavirus pandemic, Spain’s high flight obtained off to a gradual begin at Ipurua, the place Eibar completed with 10 males after Pape Diop was despatched off within the 87th minute.
Granada then picked up the place they left off final season by defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-Zero at Los Carmenes whereas newly-promoted Cadiz, again in La Liga for the primary time in 14 years, misplaced 2-Zero at residence to Osasuna.
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