Ronald Koeman got off to a good start as Barcelona head coach as they defeated Villarreal 4-0 in the Nou Camp.
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Koeman was appointed Barcelona head coach on the 19th of August and walked in on a club in crisis. After plenty of off the field issues, Koeman was able to lead Barcelona on the pitch for the first time.
Frenkie de Jong began in the midfield, while Lionel Messi was up front in Koeman’s 4-3-2-1 formation.
It was Ansu Fati who took the headlines with the youngster firing Barcelona ahead in the 15th minute before quickly making it 2-0. Fati was then brought down in the box on 35 minutes, which allowed Lionel Messi to make it 3-0.
The excellent first half for the hosts was complete when Pau Torres slid Messi’s cross into his own net.
The second half was less of a spectacle with Barcelona unable to add to the scoreline despite chances for Messi. De Jong completed the ninety minutes as Barcelona saw out the match to book a comfortable opening win of the season.
The perfect start for Koeman, whose side travel to Celta Vigo next weekend.
Congratulations to Ronald Koeman and his boys. Well played Barça.
Ronald Koeman is a great coach.I admire the method he is using to rebuild the team by releasing players off the bench to other clubs so that they can prove themselves. It also goes a long way to raise funds for the team to sign other players.
Forca Barca