Fc Barcelona kicked off the US pre-season tour dominantly with a fantastic 6-0 victory over MLS-based outlet Inter Miami at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Pre-seasons, the perfect breeding ground for reactionary sentiments and overblown conclusions, but also provide a reasonable glance of what’s to come. With six smashed past Inter Miami, Barca kick things off dominantly in America.
First Half: 8/10
Barca lined up in a 4-3-3 as Christensen and Raphinha made their first starts. Without Xavi steering from the sidelines, fluidity still existed and allowed the Catalans to dominate a frankly dreadful Inter Miami side. Third-man runs and well-timed pressures remained constant.
Garcia, Christensen, Balde, and Dest featured at the back, while Nico, Kessie, and Pedri marshaled the midfield. Up front, Fati, Aubameyang, and Raphinha’s lethality took center stage.
Of all the positive sensations one could handpick, Nico Gonzalez’s brilliance as a lone pivot delighted most. Nico’s at his best carrying the ball and evading pressure, but replicating Busquets’ role, he finally showed positional proficiency, calmness on the ball, and little hesitancy picking out players with long balls – a huge improvement.
Kessie was remarkable making those late runs inside the box and stamping his authority on every part of the pitch – a necessary and needed profile. The backline’s effortless build-up was no surprise as two of the best distributors paired with ample time on the ball.
Auba’s crisp chip opened the floodgates, but Fati and Raphinha were a cut above. The Brazilian created great chances scored a fabulous goal and bagged a brace of assists. Moreover, Fati’s classic bursts and explosiveness seem to have returned. Sleek combination with Raphinha and a third man run to score his rocket embodied that.
Second half: 7/10
Following a revamped XI, the cohesion that existed in the first half partly ceased to exist, yet increased individual quality guaranteed goals. A wonderful strike by Gavi from Depay’s corner brought up the infamous 4-0 score.
Memphis then redeemed his flurry of misses with an incredible trademark turn to broaden the lead. Dembélé decided to join the party soon after. 70 minutes in and the 6-goal thrashing was complete.
With Madrid up next, a real test awaits the Blaugranas as the group continues to grow in confidence.
