The post-Messi era gets underway

Today is the first day of a new era, with reasons to be optimistic but also plenty of doubts. Barça's post-Messi era officially begins today with a league clash against Real Sociedad, which will be the first game at Camp Nou since the departure of the side's best player.

Today marks the beginning of a new and complicated era for a team which, despite the blows they have received over the last few weeks, remain one of the favourites for the LaLiga title. Their head coach, Ronald Koeman, has already made it clear that the side will need to work hard in order to win anything this year. However, he sent a highly optimistic message to the club's fanbase, convinced that this version of FC Barcelona will make the supporters very happy. Today's fixture will mark the perfect litmus test for this.

Barça will kick off their league campaign with several players out. Besides Messi's departure, which will have an enormous impact on the side, Marc-André Ter Stegen, Sergio Aguero, Ousmane Dembélé, Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho have also been ruled out of the fixture. Faced with so many absences, Koeman will have no choice but to place his trust in the club's young talents. Not only will we see a new playing style in tonight's game, but we will also see which players are willing to step up to the mark to fill the void left by Messi and the injured senior players.

Memphis has shone during pre-season

Koeman and the Barça players are impressed with Memphis' start to life at FC Barcelona, having arrived full of confidence and already showing what he can do on the pitch. He is a natural leader, and today he will be one of Barça's main attacking points of reference in tonight's match.

Antoine Griezmann is another player who needs to make the step up following the departure of Leo Messi. A few weeks ago he seemed certain to leave the club, but now he needs to become one of the team's key players. If Barça are to win against a motivated and refreshed Real Sociedad side, they will need Griezmann to perform. The Basque side will certainly be one of the teams to watch this season.

New captains

Sergio Busquets, one of Barça's most iconic players over the last decade, has taken the armband from the outgoing Leo Messi. 'Busi' has been, and remains, a guaranteed starter in this Barcelona side, proving that he still has lots of football in his boots in this summer's European Championship. The new captain, who is negotiating a reduced salary with the club, will play his first match as Barça's 'first captain' against La Real, and will have lots of responsibility for a side that is desperate for trophies. Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto also form part of this group, offering the experience and seniority required for one of the youngest Barça squads in recent years.

Going forward, Barça's young talents are expected to be given many opportunities to shine. Midfielder Pedri already exploded onto the scene last season, and will be expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming campaign. Yusuf Demir, Baldé and Nico are other players who may be given significant minutes this year. In order for this post-Messi era to be a success, Barça has no other option but to trust its academy graduates.

Barça's aims this season are to win the league and cup double and to go as far as they can in the Champions League. They know that the latter will be a very difficult competition to win, given the relative economic power of their competitors. They aren't ruling anything out, but this new group needs to start growing, step-by-step, to start a new cycle of winning trophies. A new era begins today, following a very tough summer. And this can only be successful if the players and fans are united.