Illusion is also lived and Barça has become this summer a factory of illusion. In a festival of expectations. In a resurrection of passions. The Joan Gamper trophy only increased the illusion, the expectations and the passions. He did it by express route, with a team that had no rival in the Mexican Pumas, it is true, but he came out willing to make his followers enjoy and leave them a business card that invites them to dream. It only took a breath to see Robert Lewandowski, gunner and fantasy player, thrash at his debut at the Camp Nou. In a heartbeat the Pole put the respectable in his pocket with an exquisite repertoire.
The house trophy is time for the new ones. Some may be impressed, but Lewandowski, by stripes, impressed.
For his goal, his first as a Barcelona player, for his movements, for his assists and for his understanding of the game. He opened the scoring with a fantastic goal. He picked up a deep pass from Pedri, dodged past the goalkeeper and, almost without an angle, holed in with a subtle, spin-driven shot that lodged in the net, like a pool ball ending up falling into the hole.
A phenomenal start for an unchained team that in 18 minutes was already leading 4-0. If Pedri assisted Lewandowski in the first, in the second the tables were reversed. The Pole enabled the canary, who dribbled past the goalkeeper and scored at will. That partnership was repeated in the fourth, with a beautiful backheel assist from Lewandowski from the edge of the area, a dribble from Pedri to Freire and a shot, after a pause, that was unappealable. Pedri is where he was when he was injured last season, that is, sweet. It is important that Lewandowski understood so early that combining with the interior is a gold mine.
On the other hand, the third carried the seal of the Barça of the extremes, that of Raphinha, the other signing present in the starting eleven, and Dembélé, who exchange positions, who go from side to side, who face and finish off. The Brazilian saw the Frenchman and placed a ball in the heart of the area. Dembélé, in the new finishing version of him, finished off first and nailed it.
From discussed and set aside a few months ago to refished and refichado. Dembélé's story gives for a Shakespearean story, with script twists every season. He is now traveling at cruising speed.
Once the match was sentenced, Barça lowered the piston, although it continued to goad the Pumas goal, where the beloved Dani Alves received the affection of the stands after the previous tribute that was paid to him. Raphinha hit the post and Lewandowski hit a ball at the other post. Ter Stegen was a spectator and only had to intervene on one occasion, like later Iñaki Peña, who scored a save.
The normal thing was that the break brought a carousel of changes so that almost the entire squad participated in the dress rehearsal and that is how Xavi understood it, who gave the young Balde the starting role on the left just when the arrival of Marcos Alonso was closer as Jordi Alba's competitor.
The Blaugrana coach made seven changes in the intermission but kept Lewandowski for another quarter of an hour, who also intervened in the fifth. He found Kessie deep, who entered with great enthusiasm and gave the goal made to Aubameyang. The former Milan player, the third signing to appear, showed the best of his record, that is, a good physical display when it comes to reaching the area and a competitive tone that can make him a very useful element. As seen in another break of his that ended with a shipment to the crossbar of Aubameyang.
It was also the turn of Koundé's debut, who wore number 23, that of Umtiti, and who was received with great affection by the public. In the midst of an intense embarrassment, the game was already declining, although Piqué stirred it up with a spur shot. The one from Bonanova has not been a starter throughout the preseason. It was the prelude to the goal that closed the scoring after a recovery by Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman, in the midst of the storm over his future, celebrated discreetly.
The league starts on Saturday. Wait for the Lightning. At the moment, this Barça looks good.
6 - FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Robert, Araujo, Eric, Bucket; Busquets, Gavi, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski and Dembele.
Piqué, Alba, Nico, Frenkie de Jong, Kessié, Ansu, Aubameyang, Iñaki Peñas, Memphis, Dest, Kounde, also played.
0 - Cougars UNAM: Julio Gonzalez; Paul Bennevendo, Arthur Bennevendo, Arthur Ortiz, Nicholas Freire, Adrian Aldrete; Dani Alvez, Fig Merit, Leonel Lopez; Edward Salvio, John Dinenno and Gustavo del Prete.
Jerome Rodriguez, Marco Garcia, Diogo de Oliveira, Cesar Huerta, Efrain Velarde, Jose Luis Caicedo, Emanuel Montejano and Gil Alcala also played.
Goals: 1-0, min.3: Lewandowski. 2-0, min. 5: Peter. 3-0, min. 10: Dembélé. 4-0, min. 19: Peter. 5-0, min. 49: Aubameyang. 6-0, min. 84: Frenkie.
Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Murcian Committee). He showed yellow cards to Gavi (min. 21),
Incidents: 83,021 spectators witnessed live the 57th edition of the Joan Gamper trophy played at the Spotify Camp Nou. Before the start of the match, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Manuel Mañós Gonzalbo, number 1 member of FC Barcelona, who recently died at the age of 101.
