Chapecoense plane crash survivor Alan Ruschel makes emotional return to football vs Barcelona

Ruschel, a survivor of the crash, applauds the Camp Nou crowd
Getty Images
Tom Doyle8 August 2017

Alan Ruschel made an emotional return to football since the plane crash which killed 19 of his team-mates as Chapecoense faced Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Monday.

The Brazilian club were invited to play the match in the wake of the tragedy last November, when the plane carrying their team to the Copa Sudamericana final crashed in Colombia.

Ruschel played in the first 35 minutes of the match - which finished 5-0 to Barca - before leaving the pitch to a standing ovation from supporters and both sets of players.

Two other survivors of the crash which killed a total of 71 people, Jakson Follmann and Neto, also took to the pitch before kick-off as guests of the Catalan club.

Neto and Follmann embrace before kick-off 
Getty Images

Barcelona named a strong line-up for the occasion in what was their first match since the departure of Neymar, with Gerard Deulofeu taking his place up front.

The former Everton man took just six minutes to make an impression as he finished off a pass from Ivan Rakitic.

In Pictures | Chapecoense return | 21/01/2017

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Sergio Busquets curled in a long-range effort five minutes later to increase Barcelona's lead and Deulofeu set up Lionel Messi to tap in the third on the half-hour.

Luis Suarez and Denis Suarez added goals in the second half and Paco Alcacer had a late penalty saved on a night in which the result was rendered insignificant.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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