Barcelona's record signing makes debut

Coutinho played the final 22 minutes against Espanyol

The Brazil forward, recently signed for a whopping £142 million from Liverpool, had not played this year having struggled with a thigh injury since moving to Spain.  Last night, the playmaker was involved the final 22 minutes in Barcelona's match against Espanyol.

After overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Espanyol, Barcelona have now advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Coutinho said he had been hit by a bout of nerves prior to coming on against Espanyol.  He admitted that the reaction of his colleagues and fans helped calm him.

He told Barcelona’s official website: “For me it’s a great night, a very special night.

“They are my first minutes with this club and I’m very happy, thrilled.  The reception I got from the fans and the players left me happy.  I was a little anxious, nervous, but the way they all received me left me very calm.

“It was a difficult game, as you’d expect, against a team who played well.  I think from the first half we controlled the game well and we’ve deserved to win.”