Match Report: Barcelona 3-0 Sporting Gijon

Opinions are spinning around that Barca didn't play as well as their standard during this match; but the way we see it, opening up the Liga with a 3-0 win in the absence of Messi, Henry and Iniesta and with Ibra still adapting, is a hell of an achievment. There's lots to be celebrated as a result of this match:

How mind-blowing was Bojan? We don't even remember when we last saw him play so well, with such assertiveness, presence, and instinct on the goal. The way he dashed forward and ducked his head into the ball to score off Keita's shot just oozed confidence - and cockiness. He was incredible, had an awesome match which will hopefully be the first of many more to come; it's just too bad that he had to be subbed out for injury. Reports are that he'll be out for one to two weeks, and we're finding it weird that he was taken down by none other than his pal Alberto Botia, who was loaned to Gijon from Barca B around a month ago.

And Ibrahimovic - he scored. He scored. Ever since he began playing with the team, you could tell how goal-thirsty this man was. His performance wasn't top level either, and we think it's because he's been pressuring himself too much to score; because frankly, there's a lot expected from him considering his transfer fee and what he's replacing. And last night, after numerous tedious tries, finally he netted his first Barca goal, and with it, the pressure has lifted. You could sense the relief. Even in what little time remained after that, it was clear that he was getting into the game more. The goal has been a big step for Ibra, and if that's what made him take his shirt off at the end of the match, then all the better.

Also can't overlook Dani Alves here; sporting an unusual haircut wich we surprisingly like on him, he gave just so much in this match. He was everywhere, chasing balls, creating chances, and rocking the hell out of the pitch with his beautiful, beautiful crosses. He assisted two out of the three goals and set up many more potential ones, possibly his best performance since the start of the preseason.

Xavi was top notch as well, and Keita was as fabulous as we've ever seen him. Do his headers rock or what? And speaking of headers, all three of Barca's goals were scored that way: awesome.

Pep took a chance resting Yaya and Henry with Messi and Iniesta also missing from the squad, and it worked out fine. Some players weren't at their best, true; we weren't feeling Pedro very much for example. But you can't expect everyone to have fresh legs especially after the Supercup a just a few days ago; we think this match turned out pretty well on the whole. It's just too bad that Bojan and Max both had to be taken off for injury; hopefully they'll be fine.