Sunday was a bittersweet day for Barcelona fans.They would have been heartbroken to see Luis Suarez score twice and register an assist during his 20-minute debut for Atletico Madrid.They must have been wondering why on earth the club allowed him to leave for a league rival.But later in the day, Barca got their own La Liga campaign off to a winning start with an impressive 4-0 victory over Villarreal.They were 4-0 up by half-time and the scorer of the opening two goals was 17-year-old Ansu Fati.
He also won the penalty for Lionel Messi to add a third.The wonderkid’s performance couldn’t have been better timed following the controversial departure of Suarez.While it was very much a Man of the Match performance, Fati was denied the Man of the Match award because it’s sponsored by Budweiser and he’s obviously underage.
Award or not, Fati’s performance was really impressive during his 70 minutes and his individual highlights certainly prove that.
Check them out:
Who needs Suarez when you have Fati?
After his brilliant display, Fati admitted that playing alongside Lionel Messi is something that gives him the confidence to improve.
"Playing with Messi is a dream I had since I was a child and now I am living it," the youngster told reporters.
"He gives me a lot of advice, he helps me a lot on the pitch and in training, but away from it too, and that makes me very happy.
"I want to keep improving every day, to continue to learn from my teammates because they are the best around and they are trying to help me every day."
Meanwhile, his manager, Ronald Koeman, is hoping he’ll only keep getting better and better.
"Ansu is a young player, and we are still seeking consistency in his performances," the Dutch manager said.
"He has a great future and I am happy with his performance against Villarreal.
"His progress has been enormous, and we have benefited from that. He keeps proving his worth and we are confident he will keep developing."