Barcelona 8-2 Huesca: LaLiga 2018/19, matchday 3, match report
Barcelona hammered Huesca in the first game the sides have ever played against each other in LaLiga with an exhibition from Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba amongst others.
Barcelona 8-2 Huesca: match report
Lionel Messi and Barcelona ran riot at the Camp Nou on Sunday night despite an early scare that turned out to be little more than a speed wobble as they careened to a 8-2 win.
Cucho Hernandez gave Huesca the lead and their first ever top flight goal at the Camp Nou after 121 seconds when he poked home a cross from the right-hand side that was headed down into his path.
Lionel Messi responded after 16 minutes, however, after awaking from their slumber. He struck with his right foot as the ball beat Axel Werner and crashed in off the bottom of the post to level matters.
Jordi Alba, who was recently left out of Luis Enrique, responded to that disappointment with a typically commanding performance up and down the left-flank at the Camp Nou. He forced an own goal after 24 minutes when he sent a low cross into the six-yard box and Jorge Pulido poked it beyond his own keeper.
We needed VAR for the third after Alba broke through enemy lines and squared to Luis Suarez, who finished with the inside of his foot.
Barcelona looked to be home and hosed by Alex Gallar, who was Huesca's hero in their first ever game in the top flight a couple of weeks ago against Eibar. It was 3-2 and the game was wide open and primed for more goals as we were soon to find out.
The second half started with an Ousmane Dembele as he continues his impressive start to the season. He clipped the crossbar with a shot in the first half as it bounced to safety. He hit the post on 48 minutes with a shot too but this time the bounce went his way as it crossed the line and Barca went 4-2 up.
Ivan Rakitic was next up as Messi turned creater and clipped it into the Croatian's path. The midfielder slammed home and slammed the door on Huesca's hopes of a comeback in the process.
That looked like it would be the goal of the game but Messi might have beaten his teammate for the award after he raced clear and slid beyond Werner to make it six.
Barcelona weren't done, however, despite Leo Franco making a more defensive substitution. Jordi Alba finished off a masterful performance when he slotted between Werner's legs from a wonderful through ball from Messi in the 81st minute.
Huesca's first trip to the Camp Nou in the league started like a dream but descended into a nightmare and the problem with such an open approach is the wounds a five-goal beating can leave.
They had time for one more as Messi turned down his hat-trick chance. Suarez was pulled down by Werner in the box and he stepped up to finish it as time expired to make it 8-2 with Huesca's flaws and inexperience brutally exposed.
Barcelona, on the other hand, keep pace with Real Madrid and sit on nine points from three games and with an international break to take a breather before they continue their fight for LaLiga honours with whoever proves good enough to keep up, which might take some doing if this game turns out to be par for the course.
Barcelona-Huesca: live
Barcelona v Huesca: preview
Newly promoted SD Huesca travel to Camp Nou this evening in what will be the first ever clash between both sides in Spain's top flight.
Both teams have had positive starts to the 2018/19 season with Barça recording two wins from two whilst newcomers Huesca have not been daunted by their first ever season in LaLiga recording an opening season away win at Eibar and managing to snatch a late draw last week at San Mames in a game that featured what will surely be one of the goals from the season with Huesca's Miramon offering the spectacular.
Barça coach Ernesto Valverde is taking nothing for acknowledging that the side from Aragon have been good value for money securing their 4 points haul in LaLiga.
