Lionel Messi gone but not forgotten as Barcelona wins league opener

MADRID — The post-Lionel Messi epoch began for Barcelona with fans chanting his sanction successful the stands and players overcoming his lack connected the field.

Barcelona’s archetypal play without Messi successful 17 years started with a 4-2 triumph implicit Real Sociedad successful the Spanish league connected Sunday, with galore successful the assemblage of much than 20,000 astatine the Camp Nou Stadium paying tribute to the Argentine prima and protesting against the nine for letting him go.

The bulk of fans loudly chanted Messi’s sanction successful the 10th minute, a notation to the No. 10 jersey helium utilized to deterioration astatine the club. Many fans were wearing oregon carrying Messi’s jersey, and respective banners honored the playmaker.

“Forever grateful to Messi,” work 1 of them.

There were besides immoderate jeers against Messi, though, who was already successful France with Paris Saint-Germain aft Barcelona failed to springiness him a caller declaration due to the fact that of its fiscal struggles. Some fans preferred to chant “Barça, Barça” alternatively of his name.

“We each cognize what Messi represented. He was the astir important subordinate successful this club’s history,” Barcelona’s Gerard Piqué said. “But there’s an extremity to everything and we person to determination on. There is simply a batch of prime successful this team. We volition beryllium precise competitory and I’m convinced that we volition beryllium contending for each the titles until the end.”

Club president Joan Laporta was among those targeted by immoderate fans who protested successful and extracurricular the Camp Nou, with banners accusing him of not doing capable to support its top player. Some besides complained astir erstwhile president Josep Bartomeu, blaming him for the club’s fiscal difficulties that led to Messi’s departure.

On the field, Barcelona opened the scoring successful the 19th with a header by Piqué, who besides was loudly cheered by fans aft agreeing to trim his wage truthful the nine could registry different players successful clip for the opener.

Martin Braithwaite added to the pb with goals successful first-half stoppage clip and successful the 59th. He besides assisted successful Sergi Roberto’s last extremity successful second-half wounded time. Memphis Depay, the club’s apical offseason signing, helped acceptable up 2 goals.

Sociedad, coming disconnected a fifth-place decorativeness past season, pulled person with a extremity from Julen Lobete successful the 82nd and with a superb escaped footwear — which Messi would person been arrogant of — taken by Mikel Oyarzabal 3 minutes later.

Barcelona finished 3rd successful the league past season, with its lone rubric coming successful the Copa del Rey.

The past clip determination were fans astatine the Camp Nou was connected March 7, besides successful a lucifer against Real Sociedad. Spanish wellness authorities allowed the league to restart with crowds of up to 40% of the venues’ capacity.

DEFENDING CHAMPION WINS

Ángel Correa scored a extremity successful each fractional arsenic Atlético Madrid opened its rubric defence with a 2-1 triumph astatine Celta Vigo, extending its unbeaten streak successful Spanish league openers to 12 matches.

Correa, starting successful onslaught successful spot of Luis Suárez, opened the scoring with a debased changeable from extracurricular the country successful the 23rd. He added his 2nd from wrong the container successful the 64th aft Iago Aspas had equalized for the hosts by converting a 59th-minute punishment footwear pursuing a manus shot by Marcos Llorente.

Aspas had the champion accidental to equalize successful the 80th aft going astir Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak wrong the area, but his changeable into the unfastened nett went conscionable wide.

The benches were emptied successful stoppage clip aft an altercation pursuing a foul by Hugo Mallo connected Suárez. Mallo and Atlético’s Mario Hermoso got reddish cards.

The location nonaccomplishment kept Celta winless successful its past six league openers, since beating Levante 2-1 successful Valencia successful 2015.

Atlético’s past nonaccomplishment successful its archetypal league crippled of the play came successful 2009 — losing 3-0 astatine Málaga — earlier the accomplishment of manager Diego Simeone.

“We can’t look astatine what happened past season,” Oblak said. “We person to absorption lone connected the adjacent match. It’s the lone happening that matters.”

Suárez, the erstwhile Barcelona striker who was cardinal for Atlético successful its rubric tally past season, came into the lucifer arsenic a second-half substitute for Correa with the Uruguay striker inactive trying to regain his champion form.

The lucifer played successful beforehand of astir 7,000 fans astatine the Balaídos Stadium marked the authoritative debut with Atlético for Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, the lone important summation to a squad that didn’t suffer immoderate of its main players aft a palmy play successful 2020-21.