Los Angeles Galaxy 1-2 Barcelona: Luis Suarez embraces old Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard before making scoring return in front of record crowd in Pasadena

Just 46 days after he scored in Barcelona's Champions League final triumph, Luis Suarez picked up where he left off as the Treble winners opened their pre-season tour by beating Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1.

In front of a mammoth crowd of 93,226 in Pasadena, the European champions largely controlled their first outing of the season and Sergi Roberto scored what proved to be the winner in the 56th minute.

Although Tommy Meyer scored a consolation for the Major League Soccer side in injury-time, they were unable to alter the outcome of the match.

Steven Gerrard (left) and Luis Suarez, former team-mates at Liverpool, found themselves on opposite sides as Barcelona beat LA Galaxy

The former team-mates embraced ahead of kick-off as European champions Barcelona began their pre-season schedule

Suarez gets ahead of Galaxy defender Dan Gargan to volley home the opening goal for Barcelona at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena

Suarez, who enjoyed an excellent 2014-15 as Barcelona won the Treble, picked up where he left off by scoring against LA Galaxy

MATCH FACTS 

Barcelona: Masip (Suarez 70); Bartra (Pique 46), Douglas, Mathieu (Vermaelen 46), Adriano (Jordi Alba 46), Rakitic (Iniesta 46), Busquets (Sergi Samper 46), Sergi Roberto (Gumbau 61), Pedro (Ramirez 46), Suarez (El Haddadi 46), Rafinha (Halilovic 70) 

Scorers: Suarez 45+1; Sergi Roberto 56

LA Galaxy: Rowe (Wolverton 46); Leonardo (Steres 46), Dunivant (Rogers 46), Delagarza (Meyer 46), Gargan (Romney 46), Maganto (Lassiter 46), Walker (Garcia 46), Husidic (Raul Mendiola 27), Juninho (Vayrynen 46), Gerrard (Jamieson 46), Keane (Buddle 46)

Scorer: Meyer 90+1

Booked: Leonardo

Referee: Ismail Elfath

Attendance: 93,226 

The vast crowd, a record for a club game involving an MLS team, were largely supporting Barcelona despite the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar, granted extra time to recover from their efforts at the Copa America.

A smiling Suarez walked out at the Rose Bowl with the arm of former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard wrapped around his neck and the pair exchanged shirts at the final whistle.

Only three players that played in the Berlin final - Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic - were included in Luis Enrique's line-up here, but a large chunk of the rest of his senior squad were involved.

Barca began strongly and the Galaxy received an early blow when Baggio Husidic limped off midway through the opening half. Sergi Roberto forced home goalkeeper Brad Rowe into a stop shortly afterwards.

It wasn't until the stroke of half-time that Barca's possession and pressure finally told but there was an element of controversy about Suarez's goal.

He appeared to block an attempted clearance by defender Leonardo with his arm before volleying the ball past Rowe.

Sergi Roberto doubled Barcelona's lead in the 56th minute, blasting home from about 12 yards after the ball broke loose.

Gerrard and striker Robbie Keane sat out the second half but Glaaxy's younger players still had an impact. Ariel Lassiter fired across goal from a difficult angle after Bradford Jamieson teed him up.

And Lassiter was clean through from Raul Mendiola's ball but couldn't convert a one-on-one opportunity.

They did pull a goal back through Meyer, whose powerful header went in off the post, but it was too late to change the outcome.

Barcelona now play Manchester United in their second International Champions Cup engagement in Santa Clara on Saturday.

Suarez and Gerrard, who moved to LA from Liverpool over the summer, shake hands ahead of kick-off at the Rose Bowl