Messi starts first match under Koeman; Arsenal players fight

Messi starts first match under coach Koeman

As announced before the match, Barca entered the match with a new 4-2-3-1 formation, instead of the familiar 4-3-3 of the past 16 years.Captain Messi plays strikerright, while the left wing belongs to Ousmane Dembele, with youngster Pedri playing just behind striker Antoine Griezmann. The two defensive midfielders in the starting lineup belong to Sergio Busquets and Alena. Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Jordi Alba play in defense, with Neto starting in goal.
Luis Suarez was not named in the squad - a sign that the Uruguayan star is almost certain to leave because he is not in coach Koeman's plans.

Messi started his first match under coach Koeman.

With their superior class, Barca soon caused trouble for Gimnastic's goal. Dembele also quickly made his mark with a goal in the 5th minute. In a situation where the ball was bouncing around in front of the goal, the French striker quickly shot past the Gimnastic goalkeeper. Barca controlled almost every space on the field, causing Gimnastic's goal to be constantly in a state of alarm.

In the 17th minute, Pique was pulled by the shirt while running for a corner kick, and the referee immediately awarded Barca a penalty. Griezmann successfully executed the penalty with a left-footed shot into the near corner.

Messi not only did not take a penalty, but also played quite poorly. In the first 45 minutes, he hardly created any dangerous opportunities. The rare time he finished was near the end of the first half with a shot over the bar from outside the penalty area.

It was also the timeBarcasuddenly played less focused, several times Gimnastic threatened the goal. In the 30th minute, the away team even shortened the score with Bonilla's shot hitting the post and flying into the net.

Coutinho was also the most positive sign for Barca in the remaining time. The Brazilian star initiated almost every attack with his energetic and fast playing style. In the 51st minute, he sealed a 3-1 victory for Barca from the penalty spot, after Oriol let the ball touch his hand from Semedo's cross in the penalty area.

Arsenal players almost got into a fight

Dani Ceballos and Eddie Nketiah clashed as Arsenal warmed up before their Premier League first-round match against Fulham on September 12.

Ceballos and Nketiah were part of a group of substitutes, warming up by kicking ghosts. Ceballos was the "ghost" and had to fight for the ball. When the ball reached Nketiah, the Spanish midfielder was a beat behind, creating a dangerous slide. Nketiah avoided it, but said something that angered his senior. Ceballos pushed hard on the shoulder and pointed at the 21-year-old striker.

The group continued to kick the ghost, but Nketiah was not yet satisfied. He kicked the ball straight at Ceballos's foot. The 24-year-old midfielder jumped in and pushed Nketiah's shoulder again. Only then did his teammates intervene.

Ceballos (left) pushes hard on Nketiah's shoulder. Screenshot

Ceballos and Nketiah both came on in the second half as Arsenal raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Gabriel Magalhaes and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The score remained until the end of the match, giving Mikel Arteta's side a dream start to the Premier League season.

Coach Diego Simeone infected with nCoV

Early morning of September 13 (Hanoi time), Atletico Madrid announced that head coach Diego Simeone had tested positive for the Corona virus. The Argentine coach's health is stable. He will self-isolate at home in the coming days.

Coach Simeone is the third person of theAtletico Madridtested positive for the Corona virus. Previously, on September 3, the Wanda Metropolitano club confirmed that striker Diego Costa and defender Santiago Arias were also infected after returning from summer vacation.

Coach Dieo Simeone is the latest name to test positive for nCoV. Photo: Getty.

Atletico Madrid will play a friendly against Cadiz on September 15. The Rojiblancos will not play their first La Liga match of the 2020/21 season until September 27 against Granada. Fans hope that coach Simeone and his players will recover in time for the home match.