Barcelona’s summer got off to a winning start in Japan on Sunday, as they beat Vissel Kobe 3–1. This fixture was thrust into doubt in the week due to what Barcelona regarded as a contract breach by the promoter,

Yes, it was Barca’s first minutes of pre-season, but Vissel Kobe were slap bang in the middle of their league season, and are currently top of the league whilst chasing a three-peat of titles. However, only in the last few minutes of the first half when they scored the equaliser, had the hosts shown anything like the urgency required.

FC Barcelona arrived in Japan in the early morning hours of Saturday, following some chaos surrounding their travel plans due to problems between the club and the match promoters.Having arrived in