Barcelona: Philippe Coutinho described his Barcelona debut as unforgettable but admitted he had been nervous after coming on during the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou.
Nearly three weeks after his €160 million ($194 million) move from Liverpool, the Brazilian midfielder replaced Andres Iniesta with 22 minutes remaining in the second half on Thursday.
Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho gestures during Copa del Rey quarter-final match against Espanyol at the Camp Nou. AP
Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored as Barcelona beat Espanyol 2-0 to reach the semi-finals as the holders overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
A thigh injury had delayed Coutinho's Barcelona debut but he showed no signs of the problem on Thursday.
"It was a very special night for me and it's one I'll never forget," he said.
"All the supporters and all the players gave me a good welcome and they helped me a lot. I was a bit nervous and anxious but they helped to calm me down and I was able to get into the game.
"I'm very happy to have had my first minutes of action for the club and I'm excited about the reception I received."
Coutinho is expected to be involved when Barca host Alaves in La Liga on Sunday.
Published Date: Jan 26, 2018 17:23 PM | Updated Date: Jan 26, 2018 17:23 PM
