Gerard Pique led from the front as Barcelona put all the gloom and doom of Lionel Messi’s departure to one side to win a six-goal thriller at the Camp Nou.
It was Pique taking a pay-cut on Friday that enabled Barcelona to register Memphis Depay and the former Manchester United and Lyon striker repaid him the favour on 19 minutes when he whipped in a free-kick that Pique headed past Neto for the opening goal.
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‘It means a lot to me,’ said Pique of his wage sacrifice after the game. ‘I have grown up here, I played here for a long time and lived here for most of my life. It was the gesture that was required.’
