The 24-year-old was on duty with the Brazil U23 side at the Olympics, where they won Gold.
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That’s Jeremy Mathieu and Javier Mascherano combining for a criminally poor play, duly punished by Alaves winger Ibai Gomez for the game victor after Barca had fought back from a first-half deficit.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta started on the bench but all found their way onto the pitch after Ibai Gomez had made the score 2-1 in the 64th minute.
His wholesale changes backfired as Barca failed to unlock Alaves’s mass ranks of defence before the break and went behind when Deyverson turned Kiko Femenia’s cross past Jasper Cillessen on his Barca debut.
After Atletico Madrid’s second draw to start the season two weeks ago, Antoine Griezmann questioned his team’s will to fight for the league title.
“I’m looking forward to next weekend’s game against Osasuna and I’m sure that they will make it hard for us, but it’ll be great to be able to call upon nearly the whole squad”.
Ibai Gomez scored the victor – beating debutant keeper Jasper Cillessen from just inside the area – soon after Messi came on for the La Liga champions.
Real haven’t suffered in Ronaldo’s absence with two wins from their opening two La Liga games and victory over Sevilla in the European Super Cup.
“We had to assess the situation”.
A long ball for Gareth Bale left him and Ronaldo all alone to complete an easy breakaway. We are all seeking the best for the team and there is no getting around it’.
Within the hour, Pepe had made it 4-0 and Luka Modric hit another to finish the game off with a low shot from outside the box.
Koke met Griezmann’s fine cross eight minutes into the second half in Vigo to give the visitors the lead before Euro 2016’s top scorer Griezmann headed home his first two goals of the season in the final 20 minutes.
One way or another Luis Enrique may do some rotations in his line-up ahead of busy week with a Champions League encounter, with Celtic coming only three days after the Alaves game.
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“I can’t make all the players happy”. They are tied for points with Las Palmas and Real Madrid.
