No one could have imagined that when FC Barcelona played their first competitive match for nearly 17 years without Leo Messi as a first-team squad member, they could produce something as remarkable as almost anything the Argentine magician routinely produced at Camp Nou?
OK, the quality of the goal -- Memphis Depay assisting Gerard Pique's headed opener against Real Sociedad was good -- but not earth-shatteringly so.
But the fact that during the week preceding the match, Pique -- a hard-headed, shrewd businessman -- had renounced a sum close to 50% of his salary over the next three years so that the club he loves could meet La Liga's FFP regulations and be allowed to register Depay, plus Eric Garcia and Rey Manaj, made the goal something beyond historic.