'%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 had a tough start to their new campaign, as they suffered an opening-day defeat at San Mames against Athletic Bilbao in the La Liga; but the Spanish champions bounced back emphatically in their next game, scoring five against Real Betis, to register their first win of the season.
Barcelona's match against Real Betis marked Gerard Piqué's 500th game for the club, and also featured Nabil Fekir's first goal in Spain's top flight for Real Betis. But the real focus of the game was on those Barca players who really came into their own in this match, which culminated in a breathtaking second-half performance by the Blaugrana.
Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Rafinha, and Sergi Roberto all had excellent performances, with each of them contributing to the five goals that the defending champions scored on the night. But there were three new faces in particular at the Nou Camp, who stole the show.
#3 Ansu Fati
As a club that believes in promoting academy talents and raising them to become superstars, Barcelona's introduction of Ansu Fati into the game brought a smile to all fans watching the game at the Nou Camp.
The 16-year-old is the second-youngest player in Barcelona's history to feature in an official match. But that's not the reason why the youngster is one of the star performers of the match.
His performance really caught the eye on the night. After replacing Carles Pérez in the 78th minute, Fati put on a show at the Nou Camp. His scintillating pace and ability to dribble past players were a joy to watch. Even though Fati played for less than 15 minutes, the youngster created several goal-scoring chances for his team-mates, which included setting up Antoine Griezmann for what could have been his third goal of the night.
Fati was relentless in going forward with the ball and taking defenders on, and the confidence with which he played showed what a gem of a player he is. This could be the first stepping stone for stardom for another La Masia graduate, who could go on to become a club legend.
#2 Carles Pérez
Another La Masia graduate who had an outstanding performance was Carles Pérez. In the absence of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Ousmane Dembele, Ernesto Valverde was short on options in terms of forwards. His decision to put Pérez in the starting eleven was certainly a move that paid off for the manager.
Like Ansu Fati, this was Pérez's first competitive game for Barcelona. The 21-year old was impressive in Barca's pre-season, and through his performance aginst Betis, he certainly showed that he's ready for first-team football. The young Spanish winger was Barcelona's main attacking threat alongside Antoine Griezmann and watching their linkup play was an exquisite sight.
Pérez showed all the qualities that a Barcelona winger must have, and his ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations and thread passes into the box made him a threat for Betis throughout the game.
Cutting in from the right wing, Perez was one of Barca's main attacking outlets, and he created several goal-scoring chances. It was certainly a joy to see him score his first goal for Barcelona, and it was a due reward for his excellent performance in the match.
#1 Antoine Griezmann
In the absence of Messi, Suarez, and Dembele, Barca were expected to have another difficult night. After a woeful display from the Blaugaranas against Athletic Bilbao, few would have expected such a magnificent display from the Catalans.
After going a goal down in the early stages of the game, Barcelona needed inspiration and up stepped Antoine Griezmann. Playing his first competitive home match for Barcelona, Griezmann showed the world exactly why he's been signed by the Catalan club.
The highight of Griezmann's performance was his incredible linkup play with the midfielders and the full-backs. There were stages in the game where Barcelona found it hard to formulate an attack, especially in the first half. In such times, it was Griezmann's short-passing and ability to combine with Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, and Sergio Busquets that saw Barcelona create attacking situations.
He also scored Barca's equalizer just before half time, as he leapt onto a Sergi Roberto cross and tucked the ball past the goalkeeper into the net.
In the second half, Griezmann played more centrally, and his full force was unleashed on Betis. In the 50th minute, Griezmann stunned the Nou Camp as he curled the ball from the edge of the box into the net. This was the start of a flamboyant second-half performance from Barcelona, inspired by the French World Cup winner. His tremendous work-rate to win back possession for his team, saw them create numerous chances, and he also set up Arturo Vidal for Barcelona's fifth goal of the game.
It was a masterclass from Griezmann and Barcelona fans were ecstatic with his Messiesque performance which came when it was needed most. Griezmann has been bought by Barcelona to play the role of a creative forward to help Lionel Messi and the way he played against Betis has made the fans put their faith in him This performance was just an indication of how dangerous Barcelona can be with Griezmann in their attack, and putting him alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez might make the Blaugaranas an unstoppable force.
