Koeman delighted with dream Barca start

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: POST-MATCH NEWS CONFERENCE WITH BARCELONA COACH RONALD KOEMAN, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM BARCELONA'S WIN AGAINST VILLARREAL, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF LUIS SUAREZ PLAYING AND SCORING FOR ATLETICO MADRID

SHOWS:

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (MEDIAPRO/LA LIGA - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALE)

1. BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE

2. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION VIA ZOOM NEWS CONFERENCE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)

"I'm very happy with how we played in the first half. I think we pressed well high up the pitch. We robbed quite a few balls high up the pitch. I think based on the game we played against Elche as well in pre-season is that we played well but we wanted to create more chances and probably score more goals as well but overall the team played very well and played very well offensively."

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

4. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BARCELONA FORWARD, LIONEL MESSI WITH THE BALL AT HIS FEET DURING LA LIGA MATCH AGAINST VILLARREAL

5. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MESSI AND DEFENDER, JORDI ALBA

6. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BARCELONA PLAYERS CELEBRATING THE TEAM'S FOURTH GOAL

7. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BARCELONA PLAYERS CELEBRATING

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (MEDIAPRO/LA LIGA - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALE)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)

"It's always good, it's always important to win games. If you win games there's always a bit more of a calm nature. We made the changes we made. We play a bit differently in the middle of the park and our results in the first half helps us to improve as well. It makes have a clear idea of what we want."

9. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"I wasn't sure about the final performance or the final result because you have to know that Villarreal played already two official games for the league. Today it was our first and I expected the team... that the team was prepared to play on a good level against a good opponent. I think of course the first half was unbelievably good in which we scored four goals. I understand that the second half was a little bit less. We lost more balls than we did in the first half but I think it was a great game and a great final result."

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

11. TWO STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ANSU FATI CELEBRATING HIS FIRST GOAL AGAINST VILLARREAL

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (MEDIAPRO/LA LIGA - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALE)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT ANSU FATI, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)

"I think he had a very good game. That's why I was very happy with him. I've already said that directly to him when we replaced him. I think he gave a lot of depth to the team. He gave a very good game overall and he has to keep doing that. He has to improve, he has to work day by day and he's a very good lad. And he's always up to listening, up to learning and we're here to help him."

MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

13. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF LUIS SUAREZ PLAYING FOR ATLETICO MADRID AGAINST GRANADA

14. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF SUAREZ STRIKING THE BALL AT GOAL

15. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF SUAREZ CELEBRATING WITH MARCOS LLORENTE AFTER SCORING HIS FIRST GOAL FOR THE CLUB

BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2020) (MEDIAPRO/LA LIGA - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALE)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT LUIS SUAREZ SCORING TWICE FOR ATLETICO MADRID ON HIS DEBUT, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)

"I don't think we have to look at other players. I think we know that Luis is a very good striker but these are decisions that we've chosen. We're not going to be very happy if he scores, we're not going to be very sad if he doesn't score. We wish him the best luck in the world, we hope he has a good season but for us we have to think about ourselves now and we just have to improve our general play overall and see how well we can play. Today in the second half I think we dropped this rhythm of our play and we lost the ball a bit too much in the middle of the park but I have to be very happy with the first half."

17. NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING

STORY: Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday (September 27), leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman.

Teenage forward Ansu Fati was in inspirational form for Barca, combining with Jordi Alba to side-foot home first time into the net in the 15th minute and then striking again four minutes later with another ice-cool finish.

Fati, the 17-year-old in his second season in Barca's first team after a stunning rise last year from the club's youth set-up, then won the penalty which captain Messi dispatched to score the third in the 35th.

Villarreal defender Pau Torres scored an own goal right at the end of the first half to heap more pain on Unai Emery's side and Barca continued to dominate the game in the second half without managing to add to their hefty advantage.

Koeman, who succeeded Quique Setien in August after the crushing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, could hardly have hoped for a better start after the chaotic close season overshadowed by Messi's attempt to leave the club.

The Argentine had unleashed his latest attack on the club's hierarchy only on Friday (September 25), criticising the manner in which his former strike partner Luis Suarez had been forced out of the club.

Suarez enjoyed a superb debut at Atletico Madrid earlier on Sunday but here Barca did not seem to be missing the Uruguayan as they played with more pace and freedom than for many parts of last season, launching quickfire counters as well as building from the back.

The former Barca defender Koeman handed La Liga debuts to 17-year-old Pedri, Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao and Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic in the second half.

Ousmane Dembele also came on for his first competitive appearance for Barca since last November after returning from hamstring surgery.

(Production: Tim Hart)