Barcelona left it late against Cadiz before they recorded their first victory of the 2023/2024 La Liga season. The Blaugrana started the season with a draw on match day one against, and match day two at home to Cadiz was already looking like a similar result until Pedri opened the scoring in the 83rd minute.

Barcelona’s matchday one trip to Getafe ended in a goalless draw as both teams also finished the game with ten men each and settling down at the Olympic stadium where they will play their home games till Camp Nou’s rebuilding is completed; it didn’t go down easy.

Despite Barcelona’s eight attempts in the first half, none was good enough to change the scoreline at the break, but Xavi’s men did better in the second half as sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal, who got his first Barcelona start on Sunday, continued to impress.

Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma was virtually unbeatable until Pedri’s 82nd-minute strike three minutes before Lamine Yamal was substituted for Ferran Torres, who scored the second goal in stoppage time.

Twenty-four hours before the fixture, on Saturday, Barcelona manager Xavi reacted to reports that linked youngster Ansu Fati with a move to Real Madrid, calling it a joke taken too far to generate reports.

“This is a joke, isn’t it? I have already been very blunt about Ansu. Debates are being generated that make no sense. Ansu is an important player and is part of the club’s heritage, now and in the future,” he said.

While Cadiz will host Getafe next weekend, Barcelona will travel to Villarreal. Getafe were well beaten by Girona on Sunday in a 3-0 defeat, but on Saturday, Jude Bellingham scored a brace while Vinicius junior added a third in the second half as Real Madrid thrashed Almeria 3-1.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu