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Playing their first official match since Lionel Messi's exit, Barcelona secured an impressive 4-2 victory against Real Sociedad last night. Barcelona captain Gerard Pique got things rolling in the 19th minute when he converted a brilliant ball from Memphis Depay.
Martin Braithwaite then took center stage as he scored either side of half-time to give Barcelona a comfortable 3-0 lead. The Catalan giants seemed to be heading for a comfortable victory, but Real Sociedad gave Barcelona a late scare when Cienfuegos and Mikel Oryazabal scored in the 82nd and 85th minute to make it 3-2.
Barcelona, however, put the game beyond Sociedad when Sergi Roberto scored in the 91st minute after some brilliant work from Antoine Griezmann and Braithwaite. Although not entirely straightforward, the win marked a good start for Ronald Koeman's men in the post-Lionel Messi era.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo after the match, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman said:
“It is always important to start La Liga with a win, especially when at home and with what has happened lately. It was important to give a good image and win and we did both well.
“In the first half hour we have been fantastic in the game with the ball and also in the recovery of the ball. Then they made it a bit difficult for us, with Real Sociedad’s first goal and the 3-2 goal, where you can only applaud, but we ended up winning. With what we’ve seen on the pitch, we can be happy.
“It is true that we have worked a lot on our game without the ball. We know that with the ball we are a great team but we have worked very well with how we have to press and if we press we have to do it with everyone. Barçelona in the first half hour has been the best for me from the last few years. This is the way to go.”
With many fans and pundits casting doubts on Barcelona's ability to challenge for top honors without Lionel Messi this season, the win provides a timely reminder of Barca's quality even without Messi.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the:
Best Tweets from Barcelona 4-2 Real Sociedad
The much maligned Martin Braithwaite took center stage last night and some fans saw the funny side of things:
No Messi, No Problem?
