Barcelona kicked off the post-Lionel Messi era with a 3-0 win over Juventus in Sunday's Joan Gamper Trophy clash at Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Messi gave a tearful farewell to Barca at a news conference on Sunday after it was confirmed this week the forward's 21-year association with the club has come to an end.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner's name was chanted by home supporters throughout the prestige pre-season match with Juve, who included Cristiano Ronaldo in their starting line-up.
Memphis Depay gave Barca the lead after three minutes and Martin Braithwaite added a second before the hour mark as Ronald Koeman's men rounded off pre-season with a win, with Riqui Puig scoring a fine third with the last kick of the contest.
New signings Yusuf Demir and Depay linked up for Barca's early opener, with the latter taking a throughball in his stride and picking his spot past Wojciech Szczesny.
That was Depay's third goal in four games since arriving from Lyon on a free transfer and he nearly had a second soon after when bending a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.
Ronaldo was kept largely quiet during his 45 minutes on the pitch but did test Neto with a vicious shot in the first half, while Alvaro Morata was twice denied by the Barca keeper.
The hosts had some breathing space 12 minutes into the second period as Braithwaite's header from a Depay corner squirmed through the grasp of substitute keeper Mattia Perin.
Barca added a third goal to their tally in the final seconds through young midfielder Puig's curled effort from 20 yards to give Koeman hope of a bright future without club legend Messi.
PSG and Borussia Dortmund win thrilling Champions League quarter-finals
Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Paris St Germain capitalised on the dismissal of Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 win in the second leg.
Barcelona ran out at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys armed with a 3-2 triumph from their first meeting in Paris and when Raphinha capitalised on Lamine Yamal’s skilful approach work to fire the opener, they had sight of the last four.
But a setback came in the 29th minute when defender Araujo was sent off for tripping winger Bradley Barcola on the edge of the area, VAR confirming the on-field decision for a red card.
The pressure built on the home goal and PSG hit back through Ousmane Dembele in the 40th minute before Vitinha drilled the French champions into the lead on the night.
Barcelona’s frustration extended to their manager Xavi, who was sent off for kicking some water bottles, and the Spanish club’s misery was complete when Mbappe was on target from the penalty spot before adding a late second for a 6-4 aggregate win.
PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the penultimate round after the German club overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to topple Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
In another pulsating quarter-final, Dortmund went 2-0 up through Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen before a Mats Hummels own goal and Angel Correa’s strike levelled the score.
Atletico were in the driving seat but the hosts responded magnificently with Niclas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer hitting the target to ignite celebrations at the Westfalenstadion.
Kylian Mbappe bags brace as PSG stun Barcelona to reach Champions League semis
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris St Germain came from two goals down on aggregate to stun Barcelona and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Trailing 3-2 from the first leg, the visitors faced an uphill struggle when Raphinha scored the opener for Barca.
But the match turned when Ronald Araujo was sent off for a professional foul and goals from Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Mbappe’s double gave PSG a 4-1 win on the night and a 6-4 aggregate victory.
Barca took the lead, and gave themselves a two-goal cushion in the tie, in the 12th minute after superb work from Lamine Yamal.
The 16-year-old collected a pass on the right and ran at Nuno Mendes before a nifty piece of skill took him past the Portugal full-back.
Raphinha, who scored twice in the first leg, did not know much about his third of the tie as it ricocheted in off his shin four yards out.
The hosts almost had a second when Raphinha’s cross was only cleared to Robert Lewandowski, whose shot just went over the crossbar.
PSG remained a threat, though, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to make a smart save low to his left to keep out Mbappe’s close-range effort.
The drama came in the 29th minute when Araujo was shown a straight red card after he barged Bradley Barcola over on the edge of the area.
The Spaniards protested furiously that Pau Cubarsi was a covering defender, but after a VAR review, the decision stood.
Ten minutes later PSG were level on the night when Barcola whipped in a low cross which eluded Mbappe but was emphatically finished by Dembele at the far post.
After the break Vitinha collected the ball 25 yards out and, with no defenders closing him down, rifled into the net.
Ilkay Gundogan shaved a post for Barca but their night was about to take another turn for the worst when, first, boss Xavi was shown a red card for his angry reaction on the touchline.
Moments later PSG had a penalty when Joao Cancelo slid in and brought down Dembele, and Mbappe duly dispatched the spot-kick as the Ligue 1 side went ahead in the tie.
Barcelona staged a late rally but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved brilliantly from Lewandowski and Raphinha fired wide.
And in the last minute PSG broke forward and Mbappe lashed in the fourth to seal a stunning win.
Xavi urges Barcelona fans to create red-hot atmosphere for PSG clash
Barcelona boss Xavi wants the atmosphere to reach “boiling point” in the return leg of his side’s Champions League tie against Paris St Germain.
Barca hold a slender 3-2 advantage after the first leg in Paris last week as they bid to reach the semi-finals for just the second time in eight seasons since lifting the trophy in 2015.
Building work at the Nou Camp is ongoing as part of a £1.25billion refurbishment and Xavi has called on the club’s fans to turn their temporary home at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys into a cauldron.
He told a press conference: “We are playing at home and Montjuic (the stadium) has to be a big-night venue. It will have to be a boiling point atmosphere.
“We need the fans because there will be tricky moments and PSG will make us work hard and so at this time we have to be united.
“We will have to control ourselves and take the initiative, but it will be tough. PSG will come out attacking because (head coach) Luis Enrique will not sit back. I know him well and I know they will put us under a lot of pressure.
“We are up against one of best teams in the world, one of the most intense and they won’t gift us anything, and he is one of the best coaches in the world.”
Barca will be without captain Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen, who are both suspended after receiving yellow cards in Paris.
Xavi added: “The players banned, Sergi Roberto and Christensen, hurts us, it’s true, but the key against PSG will be to play as a team.
“If we can do it, regardless of names, we will have a great chance. We have to give it all to get to the semi-finals.”
PSG are bidding to progress to the last four for just the fourth time in their history and Enrique backed his side to come out on top.
The former Spain and Barcelona boss, who is boosted by the return of Morocco international Achraf Hakimi from suspension, told a press conference: “We are absolutely convinced that we will reverse the situation.
“Having assessed the (first leg) closely, we didn’t deserve to lose. A draw would have been a fair result, or we should have been the winner, but we accept it. We congratulate our opponents.
“But tomorrow our goal is to turn in a great performance, be brave and go for it from the first minute to make our fans happy, because that is what we all deserve.”
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