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Barcelona traveled to the United States this week for a quick tour before the start of the new La Liga season. The Catalans were scheduled to play two back to back games against Napoli and the first one was played in Miami.
The La Liga Champions had started their preparation for the new season in style, winning both of their pre-season games so far. Napoli had been impressive themselves, also winning both their ties against Liverpool and Olympique Marseille in preseason. The Serie A side represented a different proposition for Ernesto Valverde, who was keen to assess his options ahead of the new season.
The Spaniard was still missing Lionel Messi, who was recovering from injury, but managed to name a competitive first eleven for the tie. New signing Neto continued in goal, while the back line consisted of Moussa Wague, Jean-Clair Todibo, Samuel Umtiti and new signing Junior Firpo. In the midfield, Valverde opted for Ivan Rakitic and Riqui Puig either side of Sergio Busquets. In attack, he selected Antoine Griezmann and Carles Perez alongside Luis Suarez.
Both teams started the game well, with the crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, treated to exciting end to end football. The Catalans took the lead in the 38th minute through Sergio Buesquets, however, the Serie A side equalized through a Samuel Umtiti own goal just 4 minutes later. The first half ended with the score 1-1.
Both side rallied in the second half, but the winning goal appeared elusive. Barcelona grew in confidence as the game wore on and took the lead in the 79th minute through Rakitic. Napoli rallied until the end of the game, but Barcelona held on for a memorable win.
While the team looked in shape, Ernesto Valverde will be extra pleased with the performances of these 5 men, who impressed on the night.
#5 Frenkie de Jong
The Dutchman was impressive for Barcelona in his debut against Arsenal in the Joan Gamper Trophy. Frenkie de Jong was selected as the star of the match, but he started the game against Napoli from the bench, as Ernesto Valverde tried to ease his new signing into the team. However, with the scores still at 1-1, the Spaniard decided to ring in the changes and subbed de Jong on.
The Dutchman immediately brought a calmness into the middle, keeping up the momentum and helping Barcelona keep control of the midfield. His presence allowed Ivan Rakitic to be more adventurous, which laid the way for the winner.
#4 Ousmane Dembele
With the score still at 1-1 Ernesto Valverde decided to make 4 changes in the 64th minute, bringing on Gerard Pique, Frankie de Jong, Nelson Semedo and Ousmane Dembele. It was the Frenchman who took the game by the scruff of the neck and made an instant impact. Within a minute of coming on, Dembele had hit the far post.
With the Frenchman’s entry, the Catalans suddenly had the energy and zing in their attack. Dembele does have a tendency to blow hot and cold in the game, but there’s no denying the fact that on his day, the Frenchman can terrorize defenses at will. There’s a certain unpredictability about him that works in Barcelona’s advantage and against Napoli too, Dembele brought his A-game to the table.
It was a short cameo that shook Napoli’s defense to the core and gave Barcelona fans a glimpse of what the Frenchman can do. The Catalans, however, will be hoping for a little more consistency from him in the upcoming season.
#3 Neto
New signing Neto was another player who had impressed in the Joan Gamper Trophy against Arsenal, and the Brazilian continued in goal for Valverde against Napoli. Neto was assured in his positioning and made a few decent saves in the first half. Most notably, he denied Lorenzo Insigne with a fine save, while also saving from Dries Mertens a few minutes later. With the score still at 0-0, he helped Barcelona stay in the game.
However, after the Catalans scored, Napoli responded with a goal themselves. Neto was unable to stop Umtiti from sliding the ball into his own net and the game was back to 1-1. It was from here that Neto came into his own. Early in the second half, as Barcelona tried to press for the winner, they were caught out on the counter. The Brazilian was out of his box in a flash, like a sweeper keeper on high alert, to clear the ball! Napoli should have been ahead had it not been for his brilliance.
The Brazilian continued to deny the Serie A side, making a few more stellar saves before Barcelona scored themselves. He already looks like a fine buy for the Catalans.
#2 Sergio Busquets
The Spaniard is still Ernesto Valverde’s midfield general, quietly carrying out his job without a word and still appearing as effective as ever. Sergio Busquests is the heartbeat of this Barcelona team, the brain of the midfield that keeps the engine ticking. Against Napoli too, the Spaniard was on song, controlling the midfield and dictating the tempo of the game.
Even under Napoli’s intense pressing, Busquets showed tremendous composure on the ball. He was great at tight places, managing to hold on to the ball with the help of clever movements and close control. While he did get caught out on a few occasions, Busquets remained compact in the middle and then made a telling contribution to the game in the 38th minute.
Barcelona’s new signing Junior Firpo raced down the left side and then passed the ball to Piug. The academy player found Busquets at the edge of the box, who unleashed a fine low shot that stayed out of reach of Meret in the Napoli goal and nestled into the far corner. It was a goal that gave the Catalans the lead in the game.
#1 Ivan Rakitic
Ivan Rakitic was among the handful of old guards in a team full of young blood. And it was clear that Barcelona needed his experience to see off a spirited Napoli side. The Croatian covered every blade of grass on the pitch, dropping down to defend, sprinting forward to join the attack and combining well with Busquets in the midfield. He shielded the ball very well, breaking the play when Napoli looked to be getting grip of the game and was intelligent with his overall play.
The Croatian tried to thread in long balls from the back, feeding new boy Antoine Griezmann and also his old comrade Luis Suarez. He always kept the ball moving, relying on short passes to build up play from the middle and switching play to bring the wings into attack. He was also impressive with his tackling and closing down of the opposition around the park.
Rakitic also regularly ventured forward to join the attack, making late runs into the box. He tested Meret with long shots and it was from one such attempt that the deadlock was broken. The game was still poised at 1-1 when the ball fell to Rakitic from a rebound just outside the box, in the 79th minute. The Croatian hit a thunderous volley that rocketed into the left corner and won Barcelona the game.
