The Barça removes the claws in front of Pumas

Barca is back. That is the feeling that the more than 83,000 fans who gathered at the Camp Nou breathed yesterday. The Blaugrana fiefdom witnessed the rebirth of a team that crushed Pumas with an initial half-hour exhibition in which they showed all the punch that Xavi already has at his disposal. Lewandowski, who made his debut as a scorer in his new stage, Pedri on two occasions, Dembélé, Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong shaped a win that fills the Catalans with hope less than a week after the start of the League.

Tests yes, but the fair ones. This is how Xavi took the Joan Gamper against Pumas. The Catalan left behind the test carousel of the North American tour and put on the table a clearly recognizable eleven, a line-up that the Barça fan can now begin to recite by heart, at least from midfield onwards. And it is that it is in defense where names still dance to this Barça. Sergi Roberto played on the right-hand side, Eric was central alongside Araujo and Balde rehearsed on the left-hand side. All at the service of the Busquets, Pedri, Gavi, Raphinha, Dembélé and Lewandowski, players who have arrived on pole at the end of the preseason.

With this eleven a game began in which Barça tried to make it clear from minute one that they wanted to leave a good feeling before the season officially started. Xavi’s men came out with all the hallmarks of Tarrasa’s. High pressure, fast circulation and, now, talent in front of goal. That is what this team has that in just nine minutes had killed the Gamper with three blows. Lewandowski ended his drought, if you can call it that, by receiving a filtered pass, dribbling the rival goal and, almost without an angle, opening the match in just 155 seconds.

The Pole uncorked the champagne and the toasts did not stop happening one after another. Lewandowski, once again the protagonist, put Pedri alone against Julio González and the Canarian did not forgive. Then Dembélé showed once again that his partnership with Raphinha seems limitless by completing a play by the Brazilian with a right hand and again Pedri closed the poker after an associative move. It was evidence of the moment in which Xavi’s men are going through and also of the fragility of Pumas. The Mexicans were devastated and dedicated themselves to stopping the bleeding until the break.

After the restart, Xavi pulled from the bottom of the wardrobe, and Barça has a lot of that this year. The coach brought in players like Kessié, Aubameyang, Ansu Fati or Frenkie de Jong, top-level footballers who have to earn a place and who returned the hunger to a team that ended up satiated in the first half. The first three were associated with the first change and the Gabonese clinched the fifth as soon as he left the locker room. Other cards, same script. The Catalans continued with the 4-3-3 by flag, with Lewandowski, very active throughout the clash, as the spearhead and with a dizzying pace, unbecoming of a friendly. It was an opportunity to send a message, ‘Barça is back’.

That motto resonated in the Camp Nou, which knows that something is changing. In a year it has gone from adrift to absolute faith. Against Pumas you could see a team that believes in Xavi’s model, who looked for the sixth until he found it at the feet of Frenkie de Jong and who also has an extra spark of speed that he didn’t have before. Lewandowski, Raphinha, Kessié and Koundé, who made his debut in the last half hour, have quickly adapted to Barça and the state of euphoria has been unleashed.

Tribute to Alves

It was an emotional match also due to the return of Dani Alves. The Brazilian had a tribute before the start of the clash when he was introduced by the public address system and received an honorary plaque and a club shirt with the number 431 in allusion to the number of games he has played with the Barça shirt. Today’s Pumas footballer is the second with the most games with the elastic culé and that weighs on a stadium that showed him his affection before, during and after, when he was substituted with half an hour to go.