This game
was all about the return of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, with
the Brazilian back after being kept out by a mumps infection, but
despite Barcelona's star trio being reunited they needed help from
Thomas Vermaelen to see off Malaga.
The
Catalans had to wait virtually an entire year to see him play, but this
season has started with a bang for the Belgian. It was his strike that
broke the deadlock as Barcelona struggled to find their way past Javi
Gracia's heroic Malaga defence.
Having
signed from Arsenal last summer, a string of injuries meant that the
centre back had to wait until the final game of Barcelona's league
campaign to make his debut. But thanks to Gerard Pique's absence through
suspension, he has started both of their matches this term.
Not only has
he already played more than he did last year, Vermaelen is playing well
too. Rock solid at the back, with Barcelona keeping two clean sheets in
two La Liga matches, and he was on hand to blast home when the ball
broke loose to him in the box late in the second half.
Barcelona
carried a grudge into this game, with Malaga the only team that they
failed to beat - and score against - over two games last season. A 0-0
at La Rosaleda saw them drop their first points of the season, while
they went down 1-0 at home.
Juanmi,
now of Southampton, did the damage on that day, hitting Barcelona on
the break to put a dent in their title bid, though it didn't turn out to
be particularly damaging.
After
an opening 15 minutes which had been filled with Barcelona chances,
Malaga started to play some football, on the break. Javier Mascherano
came across quickly to snaffle the ball away from Duje Cop.
Shortly
afterwards Juankar lobbed Claudio Bravo from his own half, but the ball
hit the roof of the net with the Chile goalkeeper stranded.
An
over-hit pass by Nordin Amrabat ended another quick break, after a
Barcelona move was stopped with what looked like a foul on Messi. The
'MSN' attacking trident had gone quiet, after an electric start. This is
the first time they have appeared together since the Champions League
final in Berlin, bar an hour of one pre-season friendly.
The Nou Camp
season ticket holders were back for this game, with the Spanish Super
Cup and Joan Gamper Trophy clashes here largely watched by tourists, and
they wanted more of what they had last year from Messi, Neymar and
Suarez, who notched 122 games in all competitions.
Neymar,
who missed both the UEFA and Spanish Super Cups and the first game of
the season, started off in the thick of the action. His ball was inches
too far ahead of Messi in the first minute, while the Brazilian's low
cross also evaded his Argentine team-mate.
Suarez
found the net with a header from a corner after five minutes, but it
was ruled out for a foul on Marcos Angeleri, while Mascherano's header
from another set-piece struck the crossbar. It would have been his first
goal in La Liga in 141 matches and counting – and it was the sixth time
in five competitive matches this season that Barcelona have hit the
woodwork.
What
had been a frustrating half for the hosts - illustrated perfectly by
Suarez thrashing the ball into the advertising hoardings in fury after a
heavy touch took him out of play - grew worse in the minutes before
half-time.
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