Stuttgart 0-3 Barça: Three out of three

FC Barcelona have made it three wins out of three this preseason with a convincing victory over VfB Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

The side that finished ninth in the Bundesliga last season, albeit missing several key players for both medical reasons and due to the Olympics, were never really slowed to get into the game and Ronald Koeman will again be mightily pleased both with his regular names and the several youngsters that have joined them in Germany.

From Holland with love

After traffic difficulties delayed the kick-off by an hour, Barça dominated from the word go.

We had been talking just this week about the potential of Barça’s Dutch twosome, and in the 25^th minute we got to enjoy some living proof. An exquisite delivery from Frenkie de Jong was controlled to perfection by Memphis Depay. The way he flicked it over his defender’s head, met it on the volley and wham!

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. This player is going to be fun, fun, fun to watch this season!

Demir opens his blaugrana account

A cheeky Memphis back-heel was the highlight of the build-up to goal number two. Antoine Griezmann received it and placed the ball perfectly for young Austrian Yusuf Demir to score his first goal for his new club.

In all fairness, Griezmann was offside, but there’s no VAR in friendlies!

We’d not seen too much of the Germans to this point, but they would have pulled one back on the edge of half-time had it not been for a stunning piece of defending from Gavi.

Riqui makes it three

With Ronald Araujo, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on for their first games of the preseason, the Catalans extended their lead on 72 minutes. A perfectly timed assist from Griezmann and, moments after having one chance saved, Riqui Puig squeezed the conversion in off the post. Exquisite football and that was 3-0.

Stuttgart knew they were well beaten and it could have been four had their keeper Bredlow not produced a fine block to deny Rey Manaj what seemed a certain goal.

All in all, very reassuring performance and on Wednesday we’ll get another look as they travel to Austria to take on Red Bull Salzburg.