Barcelona cruised to victory in their pre-season clash with Valerenga as they put seven past the Norwegian side in Oslo.
Lionel Messi dominated the first half as he created two goals and scored one himself before being withdrawn at the break.
Alexis Sanchez took up the creative mantle providing two goals for youngster Jean Marie Dongou, while Juan Roman added an emphatic seventh.
For all that and more, read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to Sport Mole's live coverage of the pre-season friendly clash between Valerenga Fotball and Barcelona.
Barcelona will be looking to bounce back from their friendly defeat in midweek as they lost 2-0 to old coach Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich, strikes from Philipp Lahm and Mario Mandzukic winning the game for the European champions.
The teams are in, and we'll start with the Catalan club.
BARCELONA STARTING XI: Pinto, Montoya, Alexis, Messi, Dos Santos, Mascherano, Bartra, Song, Tello, Adriano, Sergi Roberto
VALERENGA STARTING XI: Hirschfeld, Muri, Larsen, Berre, Ogude, Thomassen, Haestad, Hogh, Anene, Braaten, Zahid
Barcelona name an unchanged team from their defeat to Bayern. Lionel Messi starts as does Alexis Sanchez along with Javier Macherano, Cristian Tello and Adriano, as far as first-team players are concerned.
Barca are still missing Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Neymar from their exploits in the Confederations Cup.
As a result of all these absentees, chances are given to squad players such as Jonathan dos Santos, Martin Montoya and Marc Batra to impress new boss Gerardo Martino.
Valerenga have a few notable players in their ranks including Norway internationals Kristofer Haestad and Christian Grindheim. Canadian keeper Lars Hirschfeld used to be on the books of both Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
The players are out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
Caretaker Jordi Roura looks to still be at the helm for this match, but have no doubt that Martino will be watching his new players this afternoon from some vantage point.
We're underway in this pre-season clash.
Good start from the hosts as Anene raids down the right but Batra is able to get across and make a challenge, and the ball is cleared downfield.
Good pressure from Valerenga at the start of the this game, as they play a tidy possession game in the Barcelona half.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-1 Barcelona (Sanchez)
Barcelona take the lead through Alexis Sanchez, as Messi releases him on a counter with a pinpoint ball over the top of the home side's defence. The forward raided forward and took a touch onto his left foot and drilled the ball into the net.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-2 Barcelona (Tello)
Barca double their lead and it's more magic from Messi as he releases Tello this time with a lovely through ball down the left, and the forward makes no mistake hitting his shot first time into the bottom corner.
The visitors all over the home side now, Messi is pulling all the strings in attack and the Barcelona forwards seem encamped on the edge of the penalty area. It's backs to the wall for Valerenga at the minute.
Mascherano hits a long ball forward looking for the run of Tello, the forward looks like he can get on the end of it, but Hirschfeld runs out of his net and collects at the feet of the on-rushing striker.
Despite missing their midfield maestros Barcelona are controlling this game, the ball always seems to be at the feet Messi and he's looking dangerous.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-3 Barcelona (Messi)
Messi gets on the scoresheet for Barca with a sublime left-footed finish into the bottom corner, after he collects the ball from Sergi Roberto, who raided forward with menace from deep on the left.
Just before Messi's goal, Tello had done brilliantly down the left and fired at goal but Larsen was on the line to clear his effort away. This scoreline could quickly get out of hand.
OFF THE POST! Messi fires an effort of the post with Hirschfield beaten yet again, with a shot from the edge of the area. Again, Sergi Roberto raided forward and fed the Argentine but this time, he failed to hit the back of the net.
Lovely passing and control on show by the Barcelona backline and midfielder, as Song, Mascherano and Montoya exchanges passes on the halfway line. It's all one way traffic at the minute, as the home side are just putting men behind the ball and hoping for the best.
Valerenga's turn to try and play some possession football but the pressing intensity of Barca forces Thomassen into a mistake as he lofts the ball out of play on the right hand side.
Messi gets the ball outside the box yet again, he turns and looks to fire at goal but this time he's met with a hard challenge from Muri, who wins the ball and clears the danger.
Hogh wins the ball with a good challenge to dispossess Messi in the centre circle, he drives forward looking for the run of Ogude, but the midfielder wasn't expecting the pass and Montoya nips in.
Anene raids down the left for the home side, he beats the challenge of Montoya before whipping the ball into the box with pace but Mascherano gets a big foot on it to clear.
OFF THE LINE! Messi sees an effort cleared off the line, as he raids into the box and spins his man, he tries a cheeky flicked effort, which Hirschfeld gets a to, but the ball continues to travel towards goal before Larsen hoofs it clear.
SAVE! Sanchez is denied, as he gets the ball in the penalty area and beats a challenge, he bears down on goal but is forced out wide by Hirschfeld, who diverts the ball away from the striker.
CHANCE! Montoya moves down the right and whips a cross into the path of Messi, the Argentine hits the ball into the ground and it loops up, but Hirschfeld gets a big hand to it and collects the ball on the second attempt.
Barcelona could be six or seven ahead now, if not for some solid keeping from Hirschfeld. Messi has cut the Valerenga defence open at will.
Tello tests the handling ability of Hirschfeld agai, as he latches onto Sanchez's cut back to him, but the keeper is equal to his effort from the edge of the area.
Dare I say that Valerenga have weathered the storm for now, they seem more organised than they were in the opening 10 minutes of the game and seem to have a better idea of how to defend Messi.
Sergi Roberto almost carves out another opening for Sanchez, as he attempts to lift the ball over the Valerenga defence but Muri just jumps high enough to head the ball away.
More intricate play from Messi on the edge of the box, as he holds off two challenges to lay the ball to Sanchez, the forward tries to battle for the ball but Anene beats him out and clears.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-4 Barcelona (Dos Santos)
Barcelona add their fourth goal of the evening as Sanchez cuts the ball back to Dos Santos in the penalty area, he takes a touch before firing a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner past Hirschfeld.
The Catalan club continue to dominate but as the half nears it ends they seem to be scaling back their efforts going forward.
HALF TIME: Valerenga 0-4 Barcelona
So Barcelona lead comfortably at the break, they've been dominant in this first half as Valerenga haven't been able to cope with their attacking play, especially Lionel Messi who has been excellent.
The Argentine has pulled all the strings going forward and hit two sublime though balls for Alexis Sanchez and Cristian Tello for the opening two goals. He then got on the scoresheet himself with a sublime effort and was unlucky to see another shot clatter the post.
Valerenga have offered little going forward bar little bursts down the right, they've been well and truly forced back into their own penalty area for most of the game and don't expect that to change after the break.
The players are back out after the break and we should be underway shortly.
We're back underway in Oslo.
As in the first-half Barcelona are straight on the ball and look comfortable in the Valerenga half.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Messi, Song and Pinto leave the field for Barcelona and are replaced by Samper, Dongou and Oier.
Dongou raids forward raids forward and finds space on the edge of the box and fires an effort at goal, but Muri leaps in front of the ball to make a block.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-5 Barcelona (Dongou)
Barcelona make it five, as Sanchez turns provider yet again as he wins the ball and drives into the box, and slides a through ball for Dongou who fires the ball first time past Hirschfeld into the net.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-6 Barcelona (Dongou)
Another goal for Barca and another strike for Dongou, with Sanchez with the assist again. The forward raided into the box, turning his man inside and out before sliding a pass to Dongou, who was left with a simple finish tapping the ball into the net.
Barcelona are cruising now, Sanchez has picked up where Messi left off in the first half and this is only going to get worse for Valerenga.
CHANCE! The ball breaks to Mohammed Fellah for the home side inside the penalty area, he twists and turns and fires a low effort at goal but Oier makes a good save down low to his left.
Barcelona are taking the pace out of this game, they seem content holding the ball in midfield allowing their younger players to ease into the game.
Espinosa causes problems for the Valerenga defence with some trickery outside the box before he's brought down, right on the edge of the penalty area and the referee awards a free kick.
Nieto fires the free kick just over the bar, he really should have tested the keeper from that distance.
CHANCE! Anene raids down the left for the home side and digs out a cross to the back post where Borven heads at goal, Oier palms the ball upwards and has to dive back quickly to stop the ball crossing the line.
Barcelona lose the ball for a change in the final third and Valerenga look to capitalise with a ball over the top for Anene but he can't keep himself onside with a counterattack on.
More sublime football outside the penalty area from Barca as Espinosa and Dongou link up with some sublime passing, the former lifts the ball back to Nieto who fires a left-footed volley just over the bar. A close effort.
A poor ball out from the back allows Barca in on a counter as Espinosa drives into the box, he finds Nieto with a crossfield pass, the midfielder twists and turns before knocking the ball back to Espinosa, who shoots first time past the post.
Late pressure from the home side as they force a corner down the left through Thomassen.
Oier eases any concerns from Barca as he collects the ball with ease, rising above several Valerenga bodies.
The control of the ball and tempo is still there for Barca but the attacking surge has been missing in the last 10 minutes or so after the withdrawal of Sanchez. Samper sums this up as lifts a hopeful ball straight onto the lead of Larsen, who clears, after a protracted build up from the visitors.
GOAL! Valerenga 0-7 Barcelona (Roman)
Barcelona get a seventh! Espinosa knocks the ball into the path of Juan Roman on the left, he takes a touch inside on his right foot and continues to move into the box, he finally finds space to shoot and drills the ball into the top corner.
Another nice interchange in play between Roman and Espinosa as they create space for Dongou, to fire at goal, but his effort goes well wide of the post, as he looked for his hat-trick.
FULL TIME: Valerenga 0-7 Barcelona
Barcelona win in Oslo at a canter. A complete and utter hammering for Valerenga against the Catalan club as goals from Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello, Lionel Messi, Jonathan Dos Santos, Jean-Marie Dongou and Juan Roman seal an emphatic win.
Messi pulled all the strings in the first half for Barca and Sanchez took over that role in the opening 15 minutes in the second. However, new boss Martino will know what he has in those players.
Perhaps what will be most pleasing for the new boss is the performances of youngsters Dongou and Espinosa, who after Sanchez departed, continued to rip the Norwegian side's defence apart. They are certainly players to keep an eye out for in the future.
From Valerenga's point of view, there's no shame in being beaten by a truly better team and they cannot take any negatives from this game but at the same time there are not many positives to come out of it either.
Thanks for joining our live commentary of this pre-season clash. Until next time, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
