Barcelona’s facially reinvented legends saved the day with a goal apiece
Barcelona received a second red card in two successive games, with Clément Lenglet following his compatriot Samuel Umtiti in his first La Liga start for his new club. But the side persevered in the end to mount a comeback, but dropped their first points of the season.
Barça broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, with Arturo Vidal finding space after shrugging off a a defender and passing it into the path of Lionel Messi. The Argentine swept it into the bottom left corner, after being left alone on the edge of the box.
But Girona responded on the brink of half-time, through Uruguayan forward Cristhian Stuani. The experienced international received the ball after Gerard Piqué failed to control a cross and rolled it past the onrushing Marc-André ter Stegen.
Barcelona went into the second half a man down after Clément Lenglet received a straight red after elbowing Girona midfielder Pere Pons, who had also caught Lenglet. The decision was controversial, especially with the initial free-kick being awarded to Barça.
Girona took the lead in the 51st minute. A bursting run from Portu could not be contained by Piqué and his shot rebounded off Ter Stegen into the path of Cristhian Stuani, who fired the ball into an empty net to complete his brace.
But the side was rejuvenated after first-team regulars Ivan Rakitić and Philippe Coutinho came on to replace new signings Arthur and Arturo Vidal. While Coutinho provided attacking flair on the left, Rakitić won the ball back on several occasions.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
The club completed the comeback with Gerard Piqué redeeming himself with a brilliant goal. After link-up play between Philippe Coutinho and Lionel Messi following a corner, Luis Suárez’s ball found Piqué, who rose above two defenders to head the ball past Yassine Bounou.
The team pressed late on, with Girona retreating to their half of the pitch. They rarely created chances, as the side tried to find a way past their compact defence. But despite Leo Messi and Philippe Coutinho coming close with long-range efforts, the ball couldn’t be worked into the box.
Arturo Vidal was the best performer in the first half while Philippe Coutinho dazzled after coming off the bench in the second half. But easily, the best overall performer was Luis Suárez, who worked tirelessly through the game.
‘El Pistolero’ was lucky not to receive a booking, as he manhandled opposition players and tried to draw fouls. But Suárez really showed why he is a team player, and also why is one of the finest strikers in the world with his performances, laden with some exquisite touches and dribbles.
Now, it has become clear why Ernesto Valverde had been refraining from using his new signings. Except for Malcom, the Basque coach started all of the new signings and none of them ended the game. They need some more time to adapt to the Barça style of play.
Now, Valverde needs to draw negatives from this game, and try to work on those in the buildup to the possibly season-defining El Clásico next month. As for now, he should be careful with his rotations for the visit to Madrid for the next match against Leganés.