Quite possibly no one will ever make one forget Leo Messi, but the roar of Memphis two minutes after Barça-Juventus It alleviated a small part of the Sunday pain of the culés and certified that topic so topical that life goes on. And so much that goes on, and the Barça he is obliged to win even in friendlies. The early goal of the Dutch forward, who soon after dared to launch a direct free kick, came as a result of a very good collective triangulation action, with Griezmann going down to the middle to receive and create, and Demir as a luxury assistant. The number ’10’ was missing but there was no time for regrets and the first minutes saw a combined team that stretched and folded together while moving the ball. But ahead was Juve de Christian and company, and it was the Portuguese who caused the first scare with a powerful shot at fifteen minutes, but Net cleared well. Demir, who at 18 years old was not out of tune with so much veteran, he was able to score the second, in fact he did, but Griezmann he had shot in an illegal position before. The historical and every summer expected Gamper he was leaving details, such as the consolidation of the central pair Araujo-Piqué, a wall. The grass, full of names that could well appear in the eleven of a semifinal or a Champions League final, held up well in the second consecutive game, after the women’s thrashing, as it held Net the Italian onslaught. First By Ligt and later Morata they shot the Brazilian goalkeeper, but his fists avoided the ‘bianconero’ goal.
These are the best images of the Gamper
Allegri changed the goal and half of his fieldmen at halftime, Christian included. The Portuguese, very lackluster, after more than a decade contesting the greatest throne with Messi, without success, failed again to attract the spotlights that were looking at the Argentine. The fashionable footballer in the Eurocup and champion with Italy, Federico ChiesaIt took him five minutes to threaten, but there he was again Neto.
The minutes of greater equality he broke Braithwaite at the exit of a rehearsed corner. They stood in the corner Demir Y Memphis. One knocked, the other hung up, and the Dane won the game against Pellegrini to finish off a goal and raise its price a little more. The 2-0 blaugrana was the prelude to seven changes, among which the Blaugrana debut of Emerson and the excessive and unfair punishment of the stands Umtiti, which they whistled after reading and hearing from someone who was to blame for the departure of Messi. The respectable, always wise, rectified, and in a few minutes he was compensated with loud applause.
And who throws the fouls?
Chiellini, which does not take prisoners, applied the maxim that if the ball passes, the man does not pass, and sat Griezmann in the green at the edge of the area. It was the fourth direct foul of the duel. A role that Messi it also leaves desert. They all attended Memphis Y Griezmann willing to draw. The first two were for the Dutch and the other two for the French.
The score, 2-0, seemed difficult to overcome but the Italians are competitive even sleeping and put Barça in trouble until they saw that there were ten minutes left. Then they got their seal of quality and raised the level of hardness.
The final chapter of the duel, with a great goal from Riqui Puig on the horn, it was rather symbolic in culé code. Collado, who a few days ago left the ‘stage’ in Germany to sign for Bruges, took the field instead of Grizmann. One was out, and the other came to ring to leave. The two will continue in this new stage. A new era that starts at FC Barcelona after the farewell of the greatest. Messi he’s gone, the Barça go on. Eternal thanks, Leo.
FC BARCELONA, 3
Net; Dest (Emerson, 61 ‘), Araujo (Umtiti, 61’), Piqué, Alba (Balde, 71 ‘); Sergi Roberto (Riqui Puig, 71 ‘), Busquets, Demir (Nico, 61’); Griezmann, Braithwaite (Manaj, 77 ‘) and Memphis.
JUVENTUS, 0
Sczesny (Perin, 46 ‘); De Sciglio (De Winter), De Ligt (Bonucci, 61 ‘), Rugani (Chiellini, 61’), Alex Sandro (Pellegrini 46 ‘); Cuadrado (Chiesa, 46 ‘), Betancur (McKenny, 46′), Ramsey (Danilo, 46 ’), Bernardeschi (Ranocchia, 61′); Morata (Marqués, 61 ‘) and Cristiano (Kulusevski, 46’).
Goals: 1-0, Memphis (3 ‘); 2-0, Braithwaite (57 ‘); 3-0, Riqui Puig (91 ‘)
Spectators: 2,924, at the Estadi Johan Cruyff
Referee: César Soto Grado. He admonished Braithwaite (35 ‘), Mckennie (55’), Emerson (82 ‘)