Gamper game debuts with goals
On Sunday 4 August the 54th edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy game will take place between FC Barcelona and Arsenal at Camp Nou. Excitement is guaranteed in a fixture that often sees debuts and goals.
The game at the weekend will be a first presason fixture at Camp Nou for new signings, De Jong, Neto and Griezmann. Furthermore, there is the chance of more debuts for players from the Barça B squad. Will anyone mark their first appearance with a goal? Brazilian Malcom was the last blaugrana to mark his debut with a goal, scoring last season in the clash with Boca Juniors. Of course, it was not the first time a Barça player had scored in his first Gamper appearance.
Looking back over the last 20 years, in 1997 Sonny Anderson found the net in the fixture against Sampdoria. Two years later French defender Déhu did the same against Sporting de Lisboa. Subsequent campaigns saw debut goals for Gerard López against PSV and for Javier Saviola and Philippe Christanval against Italian side Parma.
More Serie A clubs have been on the end of Gamper debut goals in recent years. In 2004 brought a goal in his first Gamper for Ludovic Giuly against AC Milan; 2007 saw Touré Yaya find the net against Internazionale and in 2010 AC Milan were on the receiving end again, this time from David Villa.
More recent debut goals have come from Cesc Fàbregas against Napoli in 2011 and from Munir and Sandro in 2014 against Club León. The list of players in recent times who have celebrated a first Gamper Trophy game is long and illustrious; will anyone add their name to on Sunday in the 54th edition of the traditional preseason curtain raiser at Camp Nou?