After their 0-0 draw at Getafe last week, FC Barcelona won their first victory of the season against Cadiz 2-0 on Sunday, thanks to goals from Pedri and Ferran Torres, during the second day of La Liga.
For their first official match at the Olympic stadium in Montjuïc, which will host the Blaugrana’s home matches during the renovations of the Camp Nou, Barça have long stumbled on the five-man defense of Cadiz.
And the emblematic enclosure of the 1992 Olympic Games, usually used for concerts, rang very hollow. The 39,000 spectators were hoping for a party, but they mostly attended a recital by Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma, who deflected all Catalan attempts, before cracking in the 83rd minute on Pedri’s opener.
Deprived of Raphinha, suspended, and without a recruit to replace Ousmane Dembélé, who left for PSG, Barça relied on its young 16-year-old prodigy, Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest holder in the history of the Spanish championship.
Untenable on his right side, the left-hander was the source of most of his team’s clear chances. He came close to affording himself a first goal and dream debut on several occasions, his curling shots having been stopped by Ledesma (29th, 46th).
Returning to the locker room under the whistles, the Barcelonans even almost got trapped on the counter by the Andalusians (36th, 52nd) but Ter Stegen remained attentive.
While it seemed to be heading for a second draw in two days, it was Pedri who gave the Catalans the lead in the 83rd minute, slipping the ball between Ledesma’s legs on a stung ball from the German rookie Ilkay Gundogan.
Barely entered the game, the Spaniard Ferran Torres widened the gap in the 94th minute, offering the three points to Barça with a shot from the left at the end of the race. Thanks to this first victory, Barça is provisionally fourth in the championship, two points behind Real Madrid, leader.
