Barcelona look smooth in Como demolition as Ter Stegen buries hatchet

Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona completed their pre-season preparations by thrashing Italian side Como 5-0 on Sunday in a game which signalled a thawing of relations with goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Barca also gave Marcus Rashford a substitute’s appearance two weeks after the England forward joined on loan from Manchester United.

Double strikes from Fermín Lopez and Lamine Yamal and a first-half goal from Brazilian Raphinha completed the rout in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Played at the Johan Cruyff Stadium within the team’s training complex, while Barcelona wait for the heavily delayed modernisation of the Camp Nou to be completed, Hansi Flick’s team showed fluency as they prepare to begin their Liga title defence away to Mallorca on Saturday.

Before kickoff on Sunday, Ter Stegen gave the traditional captain’s speech from the pitch, just days after his dispute with the club over the handling of his back injury broke to the surface.

“I think it was important to resolve the issue between the club and me, and now it’s time to look forward,” said the 33-year-old German goalkeeper, two days after having the captaincy restored.

“We’re going to fight again for all the trophies and we hope that with your help we can win all the titles possible,” Ter Stegen told the fans.

Rashford suffered mixed fortunes, providing the cross for Raphinha to score but also blowing the chance to tap into an empty net.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.