This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vissel Kobe 1–3 Barcelona: Player Ratings As Rashford Makes Bow in Friendly Win. Barcelona’s summer got off to a winning start in Japan on Sunday, as they beat Vissel Kobe 3–1.

Yes, it was Barca’s first minutes of pre-season, but Vissel Kobe were slap bang in the middle of their league season, and are currently top of the league whilst chasing a three-peat of titles. However, only in the last few minutes of the first half when they scored the equaliser, had the hosts shown anything like the urgency required.

FC Barcelona have officially announced their starting lineup for the friendly match against Japanese side Vissel Kobe, marking the beginning of their pre-season tour in Asia. After two weeks of