Barcelona narrowly won the competitive friendly match against Tottenham Hotspur for the Joan Gamper Trophy (4-2). The newly acquired Micky van de Ven was not yet included in the selection for the English team.
Embed from Getty Images
Many established names were absent from Spurs. Five days before their first league match against Brentford, manager Ange Postecoglou left out Harry Kane and new signing James Maddison from the match squad, among others. Richarlison played as the striker in Spurs' B-team, where Oliver Skipp stood out. The English midfielder equalized in the 24th minute from the rebound after a shot from Giovani Lo Celso hit the post, making it 1-1. The 22-year-old midfielder, who had scored once in 82 appearances for Spurs, also headed in the second goal with a cross from Ivan Perisic in the 36th minute, bringing the score to 1-2.
In the third minute, Barcelona had taken the lead through Robert Lewandowski. The Pole scored from close range after a skillful play by Raphinha. Lewandowski was one of the stars chosen to start by Xavi, who also included Frenkie de Jong in his strong starting lineup. The Dutchman was supported in midfield by Oriol Romeu. The latter played the role similar to Sergio Busquets.
After an hour, the substitutions began. Among those coming on for Barcelona was Ilkay Gündogan, who joined from Manchester City. With renewed energy, Barça launched attacks at the Estadio Olímpico, their temporary home while Camp Nou is undergoing renovations. The offensive effort paid off in the 81st minute with a equalizer from substitute Ferran Torres. From a low cross by the recently turned sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal, the Spanish international scored from close range, making it 2-2.
That seemed to be the final act, but Ansu Fati had other plans. Fati, like the scorer of the 2-2, came on after an hour. The twenty-year-old left-winger gained some confidence heading into the new season by securing the 3-2 in the ninetieth minute. Abde Ezzalzouli, who returned after a loan spell at Osasuna, set the final score at 4-2.
While Spurs will visit Brentford on Sunday afternoon, Barcelona will kick off the new season on Sunday evening with an away match against Getafe.
