First day of school. In the senior one. In the Champions League, that competition that, needless to say, Barcelona fans want to embrace in the final on June 6 at the Metropolitano. Just in case, don’t make plans. Beating the innocent Feyenoord 5-1 will not be the most meritorious victory of the league phase where, among others, are PSG and Manchester City. But seeing Barcelona enjoy Raphinha’s double, the acrobatic goal of the exotic Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal’s direct free kick with the captain’s armband, and even Gabriel Jesus’s header is something to savor. This is the Champions League and Barça asks for and deserves a license to dream.
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Flick had asked for more leadership and maturity to face the competition of stars. It is not reckless to say he already has it. He brought out both qualities in the first European starting eleven with Rodri, the only one in this squad who knows what it is to lift the Champions League trophy. Alongside him, 5 world champions of the caliber of Cubarsí, Pedri, Olmo, Joan Garcia in goal, and Lamine Yamal who, yesterday indeed, sparked several chants from the cheering section that is beginning to cherish its most golden player. Flick, who could not count on the suspended Eric, bet on Koundé, took care of Xavi Espart, and called on Cancelo, whose inside runs favored Adeyemi, another protagonist of the afternoon.
Raphinha scores another double, Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus debut at home, and Lamine Yamal scores from a free kick
Goals were expected because one quickly gets used to the good. It is becoming a tradition to see Raphinha achieve it. The more it rained at Camp Nou, the Brazilian left two defenders sitting with a subtle cut and scored at will. He thanked the assist from Lamine and Pedri who started the play.
Barça was once again a steamroller. Two shots from Olmo and Koundé preceded the most acrobatic and delirious goal of the afternoon. It was as stylish, as characteristic as its owner: we are talking about Adeyemi. The German drove diagonally from the left sector, found no opposition, always well flanked by Christensen, another veteran elevated by Flick. Now a touch with the right, then with the left. Adeyemi, to the rhythm of the afrobeat he loves so much, shot with his right foot from outside the area to the far post. Impossible for Ernst. The sun came out in the stadium as he celebrated with a backflip. It was a celebration worthy of his first goal at Camp Nou.
The 3,000 raucous voices of the Feyenoord supporters fell silent abruptly. The voices of the 45,500 brave culés who threw umbrellas with Cancelo’s shot to the crossbar rose. That had an insulting pace.
Amid so much dominance, Feyenoord tried to regain its solidity. Especially attentive was Mika Mármol, a defender trained at La Masia and converted to left back, as focused on Lamine Yamal (the number 10 always runs and presses, message to Mbappé) as on helping Javi López when the winger tried to reach the Barça area. It was Moussa, that player who declared himself in rebellion because he wanted to leave Feyenoord, who faced a brave Joan Garcia.
For the fourth match in the five played this season, Barça scored five goals again
The second half started the same as the first: with another goal from Raphinha. The Brazilian’s role is sensational, who drops down so well to get the ball and infiltrates between the center backs to, in pure number nine style, collect a ball from the clear-sighted Pedri and score the 3-0. Curious, to say the least, that neither the Canarian nor the Brazilian appear among the top 30 in the Ballon d’Or voting.
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Still, there were moments when the perfectionist Flick showed indignation. Barça had relaxed when the only goal from Feyenoord arrived, by Nacho Ferri, who collected the rebound from Joan Garcia after a first attempt by Targhallin. The referee annulled it for an offside by Zechiël.
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The time had come to use the bench. What a difference now. The best thing about this Barça is also found in substitutes who are not really substitutes. It’s luxury. Amid applause, Raphinha and Pedri left. Fermín came in at attacking midfield and Flick wanted to try Olmo as a false nine while Bernal settled next to Rodri. Before leaving, Raphinha placed the captain’s armband on a proud Lamine in one of the night’s images. Because, moreover, it was he, the youngest bearer of the armband in history, who scored the fourth from a direct free kick, with a ball that slipped through a weak wall of five. He ran to the bench and hugged Raphinha. There is a message: they always practice direct free kicks together.
Shame about Steijn’s goal, who attacked the back of a relaxed Koundé. But no one gave it importance. Because of the previous 4 and because everything goes so fast that soon came Gabriel Jesus’s scoring debut. He came on and kissed the holy grail by heading in Lamine’s cross. Now it turns out that Barça, that team that had no number nine, has too many number nines and goals fall from their pockets. A Barça that only knows how to thrash. By 5s. In the League and now in the Champions.
FC Barcelona, 5- Feyenoord, 1
Barcelona: Joan Garcia, Koundé, Cubarsí, Christensen, Cancelo, Rodri (Gavi, 83), Pedri (Bernal, 63) Olmo (Gabriel Jesus, 83), Lamine Yamal, Raphinha (Fermín, 71) and Adeyemi (Gordon, 63)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Feyenoord: Ernst, Read, Zechiel, St. Juste, Watanabe, Mika Mármol, Moussa (Borges, 61), Vanhoutte (Steijn,71), Valente (Van der Elshout, 83), Javi López (Targhalline, 46) and Ferri (van Persie, 63).
Coach: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou (45,838 spectators)
Referee: Svan Jablonski (German)
Cards: Yellow cards to Dani Olmo and Vanhoutte
Goals: 1-0 Raphinha (3), 2-0 Adeyemi (22), 3-0 Raphinha (57), 4-0 Lamine Yamal, 4-1 Steijn (82) and 5-1 Gabriel Jesus (85)
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