Saturday, 29 August 2015

Thomas Vermaelen finds the net at last

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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