Madrid: Barcelona started life without Lionel Messi by defeating Real Sociedad 4-2 in their La Liga opener at the Camp Nou on Sunday even if fans admitted it felt like “a leap into the unknown”.
Captain Gerard Pique gave them a 19th minute lead with his 50th goal for the club. Martin Braithwaite found the net in first half injury time and in the 59th minute. Sergi Roberto added a fourth in the last minute of the game.
Just over 20,000 fans were in attendance as crowds returned for the first time since the pandemic. However, they had to hold their breath at one stage when Sociedad came back from 3-0 down to get to 3-2 thanks to goals from 20-year-old Julen Lobete in the 82nd minute and a 30-metre free-kick from skipper Mikel Oyar zabal three minutes later.
This story is from the August 17, 2021 edition of The Times of India Mumbai.
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This story is from the August 17, 2021 edition of The Times of India Mumbai.
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