The veteran defender put in a fine display as he bid farewell amid a big win for Xavi's men
Gerard Pique was given a lovely send-off by Barcelona and Camp Nou as the Blaugrana ran out 2-0 winners against Almeria on Saturday.
Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong chipped in with the goals but all the attention was on Pique, who looked like the iconic defender of the old days in his 85-minute display.
He was sound on the ball as ever and strong when it came to protecting the Barcelona goal. The home fans got their opportunity to show their gratitude to the man who has given so much to the club over the years.
"Gerard leaves a spectacular legacy," said Sergio Busquets after the match. "He has become [synonymous] with one of the best clubs in the world. He has made history. He has gone out of his way for the club. He has created an incredible atmosphere. He is the example of what a Barca player is and what he has to do."
The win was not as easy as it should have been for Xavi's men, however.
Robert Lewandowski missed an early penalty and Fernando Martinez was a rock in goal for the visitors, but goals were imminent amid Barcelona's dominant display and they eventually came in the second half.
The Catalan side are on a four-game winning run in La Liga now and go top of the table at least temporarily ahead of Real Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano.
GettyThe Winners
Gerard Pique:
Showed why Barcelona have adored him for so long. He was good on the ball throughout the first half with some nice passes to help create chances while he was strong defensively to ensure Almeria could not get through to threaten Marc-Andre ter Stegen. He got the send off he deserved as he exited the field after 84 minutes – with his team-mates hugging him and the crowd chanting his name. It brought tears to many eyes!
Frenkie de Jong:
He played as more of an attacking midfielder for the majority of the game before dropping deeper later in the second half. Despite a bad pass that left his team under pressure and some fouls in the first period, De Jong looked excellent on the ball. He pulled off some much better passes as the match progressed, caused danger going forwards just before half-time and then chipped in with the second goal.
Fernando Martinez:
He may have conceded two goals at Camp Nou but the Almeria goalkeeper gave a good account of himself in this game. He made some strong saves to deny and frustrate the home team, who were dominant throughout. Given how frequently he was under pressure against such a star-filled attack, it was only a matter of time before he conceded but the beating would have been much worse with another man between the posts.
AdvertisementGettyThe Losers
Ferran Torres:
You can't fault him for his effort. The attacker was the main attacking threat for Barcelona throughout the first half but was unable to make the decisive action to get on the scoresheet. He had to be replaced by Ansu Fati, who was an immediate game-changer. Torres was not bad but hardly made a convincing argument for a regular place in the starting XI in this game.
Robert Lewandowski:
Possibly his most disappointing performance in La Liga this season. His penalty miss was atrocious and left fans wishing he had given Pique the chance to get a goal in his final match at Camp Nou. After that, he was very quiet.
Rubi and Kaiky:
Kaiky is how old?! The 18-year-old had a rough start as his handball gave away a penalty just five minutes in, but he recovered from that scare incredibly well. He made a vital clearance to deny Ferran Torres and overall looked strong in the Almeria back line. Unfortunately, Rubi took him off at half-time, and the Almeria defence fell apart as a result. The teenager was deprived of the opportunity to really impress in such a big game and prove he is destined to play at a higher level while Almeria were left without a hope for the second period.
GettyBarcelona Ratings: Defence
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):
Had nothing to do until the 28th minute when he came out and stop Largie Ramazani in a one-on-one and did very well to keep the Almeria attacker out, rescuing his defence from conceding through a horrible mistake.
Alejandro Balde (7/10):
Got forward a lot throughout the game and was eager to get the ball into the box but surrendered it too easily to Gonzalo Melero inside the area near the end of the first half to put his team under pressure.
Gerard Pique (8/10):
The Spanish icon played his last ever match in front of the Camp Nou crowd and looked excellent. He sent some nice diagonal passes through to Pedri in the hope of creating something against the deep-lying opponents. He made a soft but important clearance to keep Almeria out near the end of the first half and was strong defensively throughout.
Marcos Alonso (6/10):
Partnering Pique at centre-back, he made a strong intervention in the Barcelona box to cut out an Almeria attack.
Jordi Alba (7/10):
Lively in getting forward and trying to create something from the left wing but Ferran Torres was unable to get on the end of his crosses.
Getty ImagesMidfield
Pedri (7/10):
A comfortable performance from the young midfielder who made good runs into the space around the Almeria box to try to get the ball across and pulled off some neat passes.
Sergio Busquets (6/10):
Made a remarkable chip over the defence to Jordi Alba in the first half but the full-back could do nothing with it. A great moment but some of his passes in deeper areas were very disappointing, reminding us why he has faced so much criticism from Barcelona fans.
Frenkie de Jong (8/10):
His terrible pass gave Ramazani a golden opportunity to go through on goal and he was rescued by Ter Stegen. Almeria's deep and plentiful defence made it difficult for him to pull off the right passes at times, but he set up Torres from a smart corner, threatened with the last action of the first half and was perfectly placed to get on the rebound for the second goal.