Debuts for Memphis, Eric Garcia, Royal and Nico

Memphis and Eric Garcia both started their first ever competitive games in the 4-2 defeat of Real Sociedad tonight, while Royal and Nico also came on as substitutes to enjoy their Barça debuts too. 

Memphis, wearing the number 9 on his back and playing for 89 minutes added to the occasion by providing a marvellous assist for Gerard Piqué’s opener and also played a key role in the build-up to goal number three.

Having already competed in the Dutch Eredivisie, English Premier League and French Ligue 1, Memphis can now add La Liga to his list of competitions, matching Philippe Coutinho and Martin Braithwaite in terms of the number of leagues participated in. 

Eric Garcia, wearing 24 and on for 83 minutes, was solid as a rock at the back as he became the fifth graduate of the Barça Escola, which he joined in 2008, to make his senior Barça debut. It was he who started the move that led to Barça’s second goal tonight.

Royal came on for the last twenty minutes, wearing 22, and Nico, the young Catalan midfielder from Barça B, wearing 28, played the last seven of a dramatic encounter.