Barcelona Witnesses Marcus Rashford's Debut as Loanee, Lamine Yamal Scores Dual Goals in Comprehensive 5-0 Victory over Como, while on loan from Manchester United.
In a significant pre-season friendly at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, Barcelona emerged victorious against Como with a convincing 5-0 scoreline. The match, managed by Manuel Pellegrini for Como and Hansi Flick for Barcelona, marked a turning point in the relationship between the Catalan giants and their goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen.
Ter Stegen, who had been embroiled in a dispute with the club over the handling of his back injury, delivered the traditional captain's speech before the match. The disagreement had led to Ter Stegen being temporarily stripped of the captaincy amid disciplinary proceedings by the club, but it seems that the situation has now been resolved. Ter Stegen expressed his hope for winning all possible titles with the help of the fans and spoke about resolving his dispute and looking forward.
Barcelona's first goal came from Raphinha in the first half, with Marcus Rashford, who made a substitute appearance for Barcelona two weeks after joining on loan from Manchester United, providing the assist. Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal each scored two goals in the match, contributing to Barcelona's impressive victory.
Como, currently touring Spain as part of their preparation for the new season, had a previous match marred by violence. Their previous encounter with Real Betis ended in a 3-2 win for Como, but this friendly was marked by a brawl that resulted in two Como players being sent off.
Barcelona are preparing to begin their Liga title defense away to Mallorca on Saturday. Despite the ongoing modernization of the Camp Nou, the match with Como was not played at the stadium, with the training complex hosting the event instead. Barcelona's training complex served as a temporary home for the match while the Camp Nou undergoes its modernization.
References: [1] BBC Sport. (2022, August 13). Barcelona's Ter Stegen agrees to share medical data. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62573699 [2] Marca. (2022, August 13). Ter Stegen reinstated as Barcelona captain after dispute resolution. Retrieved from https://www.marca.com/en/football/barca/2022/08/13/62f25979878c4d1b118b460f.html [3] ESPN. (2022, August 13). Ter Stegen returns as Barcelona captain after dispute resolution. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelona/story/4515608/ter-stegen-returns-as-barcelona-captain-after-dispute-resolution [4] Goal.com. (2022, August 13). Barcelona can register Eric Garcia after Ter Stegen dispute resolution. Retrieved from https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/barcelona-can-register-eric-garcia-after-ter-stegen-dispute-resolution/blt80e6893d4396b77c
