Five years since the first Covid-affected game

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted life across the entire planet and changed the way sport was conceived and consumed. Football was no exception. After a three-month stoppage, from March’s first lockdown until June, the ball started rolling again. For Barça that moment came on 13 June 2020, and now, exactly five years later, it is a good time to look back at how it all unfolded.

The new normal

The team, coached by Quique Setién, travelled to Mallorca for La Liga’s 28th matchday, taking every possible precaution to curb the spread of coronavirus. When the squad arrived at the stadium, every player was wearing a mask and gloves, an unimaginable sight at the time, and the only thing that felt even remotely normal were the 90 minutes on the pitch.

Big win

The stands at Son Moix were completely empty that day, when Barça ran out 4-0 winners in the most atypical of matches. The starting XI was Ter Stegen in goal; Sergi Roberto, Araújo, Piqué, and Jordi Alba in defence; Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal, and De Jong in midfield; and Messi, Griezmann, and Braithwaite up front.

The atmosphere was flat, but the Catalans came out determined to get the job done. By the 2nd minute Arturo Vidal had already broken the deadlock with a fine header. Just before the break Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal as a Barça player, and in the closing minutes Jordi Alba and Leo Messi sealed the victory.

Five changes

That match also featured Iván Rakitić’s 300th appearance in a blaugrana shirt and the return of Luis Suárez after five months out following knee surgery. It was also the first time the new rule allowing five substitutions was put into practice, a change that remains in force today. Setién used all five that day, bringing on the aforementioned Rakitić and Suárez, plus Arthur Melo, Semedo, and Júnior Firpo.