'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona clashed with Napoli for the second time in a matter of days, to decide the winner of the inaugural Serie A-LaLiga Cup at the Michigan Stadium – a.k.a. "The Big House" – in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
With the first fixture against the Partenopei having ended in a 2-1 victory for the Blaugrana, Barcelona wrapped up their pre-season campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory in the second fixture to add the exhibition trophy to their bulging trophy cabinet.
The victory comes with less than a week left to kick off their Spanish title defense. And while the first match was much more balanced, Barcelona proved to be too strong for Napoli at the second time of asking.
In this piece, we look at four talking points from the match.
#1 Lionel Messi facing race against time to be fit for season opener
Having been given an extended leave of absence due to his participation in the Copa America over the summer, Lionel Messi was expected to resume training with the squad alongside his fellow South American contingent at the start of August.
However, in scenes that would have caused more than a few panics among Barcelona fans, their skipper pulled up with an injury on his first day of training, which forced him to miss the tour to the United States.
A statement by Barcelona revealed that Messi is training alone in a bid to recover from a grade 1 calf injury sustained on his right leg.
Barcelona might have largely coped well in their talisman’s absence throughout pre-season, but Messi’s status as a genuine difference-maker means that his side would need his services once the season proper gets underway.
With just six days left till the proposed date for his side’s LaLiga opener against Athletic Bilbao, Ernesto Valverde would be hoping to have his most important player back in the side.
#2 Luis Suarez re-asserts his importance
Like his South American colleagues, Luis Suarez returned to Barcelona later than his teammates. But he slotted right into the thick of things, netting a last minute winner in his first appearance of pre-season against Arsenal to help Barcelona win the Joan Gamper trophy.
Against Napoli, the Uruguayan international was started as the focal point of attack. And after a quiet first half, he exploded to life upon resumption of hostilities after the break, needing just three minutes to put Barcelona ahead.
The 32-year-old played Antoine Griezmann in with a clever flick, and reacted quickly to tuck the ball into the back of the net after the Frenchman's shot had been saved by Alex Meret.
11 minutes later Suarez doubled the lead, receiving the ball from Ousmane Dembele on the edge of 'the D' before unleashing an unstoppable curler past Meret in the Napoli goal.
Following Griezmann's arrival, there were many who opined that Suarez should be demoted to the bench. But with his display against Napoli, the former Liverpool man showed that claims of his decline have been greatly exaggerated.
#3 Napoli fail to put up much of a challenge
Unlike in the first leg three days ago where the Italian side gave as much as they got in a narrow 2-1 loss, Napoli were totally uninspiring in the second leg and failed to truly test the LaLiga champions.
They managed just seven shots across the 90 minutes, with none of those finding the target, as against the 15 with nine on target managed by their opponents.
The stats also reveal that they had 41% possession, attempting 456 passes with an 84% accuracy.
By contrast, they fared much better in the first match, out-possessing Barcelona with 53% of the possession, while also besting them in terms of passes (506 to 457) and having better passing accuracy than the Catalans (91% t 89%).
Carlo Ancelotti would be hoping his side can build on their second-place league finish last season. And while they might have posted some impressive results across their pre-season fixtures, their display against Barcelona left a lot to be desired.
#4 Barcelona head into the season with supreme confidence
After posting a 2-1 loss to Chelsea in their opening pre-season fixture, Barcelona went from strength to strength - winning their next four matches by an aggregate score of 10-2.
Having narrowly defeated Napoli last time out, the Blaugrana started the return leg rather lackadaisically. But they rose into the ascendancy upon resumption of the second half.
Their display in the second 45 minutes against Napoli was arguably their best of pre-season. The Catalans totally dominated proceedings, barely giving the Serie A side a chance to catch their breath.
As highlighted in the last slide, the stats showcased their brilliance, and it is safe to say that the final scoreline of 4-0 - though embarrassing for their opponents - was a fair reflection of Barcelona's total dominance.
The midfield was supreme and dictated the tempo of the match, while each of the starting attackers got his name on the scoresheet.
Ernesto Valverde would be very pleased with the output of this wards, especially coming without the services of Lionel Messi. And with just five six to go until their season opener against Athletic Bilbao, the 55-year-old would fancy his side's chances of retaining their LaLiga title.
