Al-Ahli vs. Barcelona: Score and Reaction from 2016 Friendly Match

Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar all scored in the opening 17 minutes before being substituted after half an hour as Barcelona beat Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli 5-3 in their Doha friendly on Tuesday. Paco Alcacer and Rafinha added to the Blaugrana's early strikes in the second half. 

It was an entertaining clash at the Al-Gharafa Stadium as Barca played their first game in Qatar. 

Al-Ahli contributed brilliantly to the spectacle. Omar Abdulrahman scored from the penalty spot, and Muhannad Assiri netted a double to make it a genuine contest after Barca's early dominance.

Both clubs provided their lineups before kick-off, with Barca manager Luis Enrique putting out a relatively strong side for the mid-season friendly:

The Catalans were 1-0 up after just eight minutes when Suarez lightly glanced a left-footed Messi ball from the right past goalkeeper Yasser Al Mosailem and into the back of the net.

Two minutes later, the Argentinian maestro doubled Barca's lead with a precise finish from the edge of the box after Al-Ahli conceded possession on their own byline.

It was then just seven more minutes until Neymar got in on the act. Not to be left out, the Brazilian finished calmly from the left of the six-yard box into the corner, having been fed in space by Rafinha.

Al-Ahli pithily summed up the early action on their Twitter feed:

Given Barca's early superiority, Al-Ahli responded in admirable fashion and could have got themselves back into the match had it not been for some poor finishing from Omar Al Somah, Salman Al-Moasher, Taisir Al-Jassim and Hussain Al-Moqahwi.

Their best effort of the opening half came just after the half-hour mark when Al-Jassim attempted an audacious and well-executed lob from the edge of the box, but Jasper Cillessen back-pedalled well and palmed the effort wide.

Soon after, Enrique decided to hook four of his star players, replacing them with Alcacer, Arda Turan, Denis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti, per Barca:

Al-Ahli threw on Abdulrahman, and he was the man who pulled one back in the 51st minute with a cheeky Panenka from the spot past half-time Barca substitute Jordi Masip.

It took little time for the Liga giants to re-establish their three-goal cushion, though, with Alcacer heading home from the near post after a smart ball by Ivan Rakitic at the right edge of the area.

Rafinha then made it 5-1 just before the hour following a beautiful turn to evade a defender and a neat exchange of passes in the box with Alcacer. 

The goals kept on coming as Assiri netted Al-Ahli's second in the 59th minute, finishing from a tight angle, having been well fed on the left by Giannis Fetfatzidis.

He then tapped his second into an open net soon after, with Ali Awaji's squared ball from the left setting up a routine finish.  

However, that proved the end of the second-half goal rush, and Barca eventually ran out fairly comfortable winners despite Al-Ahli's spirited effort at a comeback. 

Post-Match Reaction

To follow.