FC Barcelona defeats AS Roma 3-0 to win 2015 Joan Gamper Trophy

Friday, August 7, 2015 

File photo of Ivan Rakitic, who scored the last goal of the match.
Image: Gabrielcorbachobermejo.

On Wednesday, Catalonia-based football club FC Barcelona defeated Rome-based Italian Serie A football club A.S. Roma 3–0 in the 2015 Joan Gamper Trophy played in Camp Nou stadium, Barcelona.

Barcelona had stronger possession of the ball in front of Roma. The match saw only five yellow cards, two for Barcelona players and three for AS Roma players. A total of twenty fouls were committed in the match. Brazilian Neymar scored the first goal of the match in the 26^th minute, assisted by Jérémy Mathieu. Messi doubled the lead by scoring in the bottom right corner in the 41^st minute, assisted by Neymar. The first half ended in 2–0 with four bookings.

Ivan Rakitić scored the last goal of the match in the 66^th minute. The Croat scored a right-footed 30-yard screamer in the top corner, assisted by Sergio Busquets. After the match, Rakitic said: "The aim is to keep on the same lines as we were at the end of last season [...] I feel strong and the team is working well. This was only a friendly but we still played to win as in any match."

Barcelona's new signings Aleix Vidal and Adra Turan could not play the match due to a transfer ban.

Barça is to face Athletic Bilbao on August 23 in 2015/16 La Liga.

Messi avoids possible first red card in Catalan shirt

File photo of A.S. Roma player Yanga-Mbiwa against whom Messi had a dispute.
Image: 34 super héros.

In the 34^th minute, Marc Bartra's pass to Messi was called offside. Moments later, Messi and Roma's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa confronted each other, culminating with Messi headbutting Yanga-Mbiwa and grabbing him by the throat. Messi did not receive a red card, although both players were booked. The referee came to stop the dispute.

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5 August 2015
	Barcelona	3–0	Roma	Camp Nou Attendance: 94,422 Referee: Estrada Fernández (Catalonia)
	Neymar 26' Lionel Messi 34', 41' Ivan Rakitić 66' Marc Bartra 90'		Yanga-Mbiwa 34' Florenzi 37' Nainggolan 40'

Sources

• "FC Barcelona - Roma, 08/05/2015 | FC Barcelona" — FC Barcelona, August 7, 2015 (date of access)
• "FC Barcelona - Roma, 08/05/2015 | FC Barcelona" — FC Barcelona, August 7, 2015 (date of access)
• Reuters. "Barcelona's Lionel Messi appears to head-butt Roma defender in friendly" — The Guardian, August 6, 2015
• "Lionel Messi 'headbutts' Roma defender during bad-tempered friendly clash" — The Daily Telegraph, August 6, 2015
• "Barcellona-Roma 3-0: decidono Messi, Neymar e Rakitic" — La Gazzetta dello Sport, August 6, 2015 (Italian)
• Conor Dowley. "Lionel Messi loses his mind, head butts, grabs Roma player’s throat" — SB Nation, August 5, 2015