Neymar came on as a substitute to score twice from passes by Lionel Messi and give Barcelona a 2-0 win at home over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Neymar again started on Barcelona’s bench and had to watch Munir El Haddadi create Barcelona’s best chances until he replaced the young forward in the 62nd minute.
But Messi soon played Neymar clear for the Brazil forward to score his first goal of the season in the 79th.
Five minutes later Messi dribbled to the end line before passing back for Neymar to slot in his second and seal Barcelona’s third win in as many games.
Barcelona opens its Champions League campaign at home against APOEL on Wednesday, when Bilbao hosts Shakhtar Donetsk.
Barca — which is yet to concede a goal — is top with nine points from three games.
Controversially, Barca played in a yellow-and-red change strip to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Catalonia’s 1714 military defeat at the hands of the Spanish crown — and to show its support for a referendum on Catalan independence. Bilbao followed suit by playing in the colours of the Basque national flag.
Barca had the whip hand throughout but was kept at bay until late on by a solid Bilbao defence and a bright display from goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.
But there was little the veteran keeper could do 12 minutes from time, when Messi — nowadays the provider rather than the finisher — set up Neymar to calmly break the deadlock.
Earlier on Friday, Almeria was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Cordoba.
Almeria struck first and created more chances than the visitors, but both teams will have to wait for another opportunity to win their first game of the season. Forward Edgar Mendez skilfully volleyed in Joaquin Navarro’s cross to give Almeria the lead in the 12th minute.
But Federico Cartabia, Cordoba’s most incisive player, ran onto Fidel Chaves’s throughball and slotted in the equaliser seven minutes later.
The results: Almeria 1 (Mendez Ortega 12) drew with Cordoba 1 (Cartabia 19); Barcelona 2 (Neymar 79, 84) bt Athletic Bilbao 0; Malaga 0 Levante 0.
