Barcelona started life without Lionel Messi on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Juventus in the pre-season Gamper Trophy.
Barcelona started life without Lionel Messi on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Juventus in the pre-season Gamper Trophy.
Memphis Depay opened the scoring for Barcelona after just three minutes, with Martin Braithwaite adding a second goal just before the hour mark from a corner. Young hope Riqui Puig scored a third in stoppage time with a fine left foot drive.
In Sunday’s other high-profile friendly, Real Madrid and AC Milan fought to a 0-0 stalemate.
Messi had earlier Sunday said his farewells to the club he had served for 20 years at a tearful news conference.
The 34-year-old Argentinian superstar, six times a Ballon d’Or winner, has been out of contract since the end of June and Barca say they cannot afford to keep him, with Messi admitting that a move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is a “possibility.”
Last year he sought to engineer a release from his contract in frustration at some poor showings in Europe by the club where he has won four Champions Leagues but ended up staying.
“I was convinced I knew what I wanted say, but this year is not the same,” he explained…