Riquelme bags brace as Barca cruise home

Barcelona 4, Parma 2

The Catalan club were superior in almost every department and only the eccentric goalkeeping of new signing Robert Enke prevented Parma suffering total humiliation. With a bonus point for every goal scored, Barca have already put themselves in pole position to land a trophy they previously won two years ago. It was a sweet return to Holland for Louis van Gaal, who has taken charge at the Nou Camp for a second time after his unsuccessful stint with the Dutch national squad. But, while happy at the form of his outfield players, Van Gaal might have a few concerns over former Benfica keeper Enke, who gifted Parma an equaliser after Geovanni had slid home Gabri’s far post cross.

At that stage, Barca were in complete command, but they were forced to redouble their efforts when Enke came charging out of his box trying to reach an aimless punt forward which posed little immediate threat.

Enke’s arrival caused Frank de Boer to back off and when the German stopper was beaten to the ball by Marco di Vaio, he could only turn in anguish as the striker stroked the ball home.

It launched a 15-minute goal blitz to rouse a crowd whose loudest noise up to that point had come when the Ajax team emerged to watch the game by the touchline.

Within three minutes of Di Vaio’s leveller, Barca were back in front when Riquelme rocketed home his first from 25 yards after advancing forward from Phillip Cocu’s short pass. Enke was beaten again though on Parma’s next attack when Francelino Matuzalem’s low cross was sent powering through the goalkeeper’s legs by Marco Marchionni’s brave diving header.

Barca could barely believe they were not in front such was their control.

Patrick Kluivert, one of four Dutch players in the Catalans’ starting line-up, had worked hard for little reward, but when his attempted dribble through a solid wedge of Parma defenders was blocked, Riquelme rifled home his second.

Kluivert then fired just wide before playing a major role in Barca’s fourth in stoppage time.

Parma keeper Sebastien Frey could have expected few problems when Fabio Rochemback lined up a free-kick from 35-yard range.

The shot was powerful but it still wouldn’t have found its way into the net had Kluivert not stationed himself directly in Frey’s eyeline, then moving out of the way at the vital moment to leave the Frenchman with no chance.

As the opening period had been punctuated by the whistle of referee Ben Haverkort, so the second’s momentum was continually halted by the usual raft of substitutions.

Kluivert was replaced at the break, while Gaizka Mendieta lasted an hour, producing a tidy performance in open play but failing miserably to make any impression with a string of corners all of which were cleared with ease by the Parma defence.

A late Paul Scholes goal was not enough to stop Manchester United slipping to defeat against hosts Ajax in their opening game.

Victor Sikora, who turned down a move to Fulham during the summer, put the Dutch side in front during the opening period and Zlatan doubled that lead 15 minutes from time.