Barcelona started the Joan Gamper Trophy game with a 5-star line-up: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Alexis, Messi.And gave Santos a resounding beating. 'Los Culé' never let up for a moment, scoring four goals to nothing in the first half alone.
An impressed Neymar witnessed from the bench goals scored by Messi, Leo (own-goal), Alexis and Pedro. Another four were notched up in the second half - the work of Fàbregas (2), Adriano and Dongou. Poor Santos never scored once.
The first Neymar-Messi partnership only occurred between the 46th and 62nd minutes of the game, between when Neymar came on and Messi went off for Dongou. Then played for Barça Pinto; Montoya, Bartra, Mascherano, Adriano; Song, Sergi Roberto, Cesc; Alexis, Messi, Neymar.
Only 16 minutes, but enough time to see that together they are going to have fun.
Neymar gave some signs of what he is capable of, setting up Cesc Fàbregas for his first goal, and whacking the ball into the woodwork with a spectacular left-footed kick.
And Santos? Pinto stopped them from scoring a conciliatory goal, they got paid their money and went back home to Brazil.