Al Ahli 3 Barcelona 5: Alcacer finally scores

Paco Alcacer scored his first Barcelona goal on Tuesday, although it took an exhibition friendly against Al Ahli in Qatar for the forward to get off the mark.

Alcacer has endured a long wait to open his account, prompting considerable scrutiny from supporters and the famously unforgiving Spanish press being brought to bear on the fringe player.

The 23-year-old, signed from Valencia in August, headed home from close range to make it 4-1 at Thani bin Jassim Stadium in Doha, where Barca eventually ran out 5-3 winners.

The crowd-pleasing superstar trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez all started the game in Qatar and netted their team’s first three goals to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Saudi-born United Arab Emirates international Omar Abdulrahman of Al-Ain, making a special appearance for Al Ahli, got one back for his team with a cheeky Panenka penalty six minutes into the second half.

Alcacer and Rafinha replied for Barca, before Mohannad Aseri restored some respectability to the scoreline with a brace on the counter.

Barca are back in LaLiga action at home to Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Sunday, followed by the visit of Hercules to Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey, which is the final match before Spain’s mid-season break.