Barça set the mark with quality performance

Barcelona got off the perfect start with a 3-0 win over Racing Santander and with the dust settling over the club’s recent transfer activity it all looks very positive for the new season.
It did not take very long for Messi to pick up where he had left off last season as he sprinted through and clipped the ball over the keeper to give Barça the lead. There was to be no hangover for the Argentine from the World Cup in which his country had abjectly failed against the Germans.
David Villa opened up his account with the third goal but the memorable moment from the game was the delightful lob by Andres Iniesta from the edge of the area after the keeper had punched the ball away. He knocked the ball back first time over the stranded keeper and into the goal.
With the job completed, Barça could sit back and watch the Real Madrid show turn into disappointment as they failed to score against Mallorca. All eyes had been on Mourinho for his first game but his expensively assembled team could not break down a solid Mallorca backline.
Barca now go into the international break with a comfortable start and the incorporation of Mascherano still to come while the Ibrahimovic saga has come to an end.
Unlike with Cesc earlier, Barça finally got their man with Mascherano making clear that he did not want to play for Liverpool. It was a sad ending for the Argentine but Barça now have a quality defensive player who is more suited to Spanish league than the physical Yaya Toure that left for Manchester City.
There will be few Barça fans who will shed a tear at the news that Ibrahimovic has moved to AC Milan. The Swede had a disappointing first season considering he had been billed as one of the best players in the world and never showed the desire or workrate to win over the fans. The Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan was a classic example as when Barça needed his strength and skills he once again disappeared on the big stage. It was quite clear that despite his size he did not fancy the physical confrontation against Lucio or Samuel.
Barça made a big mistake in spending over 65m euros for him and they were never going to be able to recover that so it is better to accept 25m euros and see the back of the player and start again. That money also saw the club able to splash out the same amount for Mascherano and so not add to the club debt.
“It is not the right moment to talk about Ibrahimovic, he was the centre of attention during the Joan Gamper Trophy but not here. I am grateful for what he did as a Barça player and I wish him all the best in the future,” said an always polite Guardiola, “I wouldn’t say that the squad is now closed as there are still possibilities of bringing in new players but I am happy with what I have.”