Barca vs Real Madrid Friendly: Barcelona’s 2 -1 victory.
As Barca wins El Clásico in New Jersey, Pau Víctor displays great performance in the game.
Barcelona’s second stop on their US tour concluded on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in a fiercely contested El Clásico in New Jersey, keeping them undefeated in the preseason. Pau Víctor scored both goals and helped Barça defeat their fiercest rivals in the United States for the fourth time in a row, making Pau Flick the star of the show once again. Hansi Flick selected a little more experienced team than the one that played against Manchester City in the friendly.
Barça got off to a fast start and had a chance to take the lead five minutes in thanks to a header from Pau Víctor that Thibaut Courtois saved brilliantly. Hansi Flick’s team started the game with the same fervor and intensity they displayed against Manchester City, pressing high up the pitch and moving the ball quickly and purposefully.
The match was delayed by 70 minutes due to bad weather, which made the surface very thick and hindered Barça’s momentum. When play started, the Blaugrana looked considerably different. For the next twenty minutes, Los Blancos dominated the midfield due to Madrid’s increased ball possession and Barça’s inability to hold onto the ball for long periods of time. Even though Madrid’s Arda Güler scored, the goal was disallowed for offside.
A double lead for Barca in the game
As the rain continued to fall, Victor broke the scoreless tie in the 42nd minute. Robert Lewandowski was alone inside the six-yard box when Valle’s exquisite cross reached him, and even though he miskicked, Pau Víctor was there to head the ball in for his second goal in two games.
Due to the earlier weather delay, there was just a five-minute halftime break. In the 54th minute, Victor replicated the trick to double Barcelona’s lead. Victor was once again in the correct location to extend and obtain enough possession of the ball to put it past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after Valle again produced the cross.
Vinícius Júnior made his preseason debut, giving Madrid a lift off the bench. With eight minutes left, Nico Paz capitalized on several lapses in Barcelona’s defense by heading in an Arda Güler corner to bring Madrid back into the game.
Soon after the hour, Flick made five changes, bringing in Mika Faye for his much awaited center-back debut and Raphinha for his first preseason game. Pau Victor’s night came to an end as well, with his coach giving the striker a well-earned hug for his outstanding performance.
Along with his own series of substitutions, Carlo Ancelotti was also responsible for the customary lull that occurs midway through the second halves of preseason games. The two teams did, however, crank up the pace once more, with Madrid particularly eager to get back and producing several opportunities through Vinicius that the Barça defense narrowly avoided.
Ilkay Gündogan made his preseason debut as part of Flick’s final set of substitutions, playing the final fifteen minutes as a lone holding midfielder behind Guille Fernández and Noah Darvich. With a wonderful through pass, Darvich nearly put Guille in for a goal, but Courtois made another crucial stop.
Real Madrid manages a goal against Barca
With ten minutes remaining, Madrid managed to tie the score thanks to a header from Nico Paz after Güler’s corner found him alone at the far post. The goal added a dramatic touch to the game’s closing moments.
However, Barça performed admirably to prevent giving up any late chances, and they prevailed again against Madrid on American soil when the final siren sounded. Once again, Hansi Flick’s team performed admirably and displayed encouraging pressing and defensive organization. A number of young players also provided the coach and spectators with another demonstration of their skill.
