2023-07-30 01:28:54
A Madrid-Barça game, even if it is of an apparently friendly nature, is always a terrain for tension, since fights from the past tend to accumulate. The classics that usually attract attention in autumn and spring have ceased to have a season of the year since three seasons ago the giants of Spanish football met in America to measure themselves on the other side of the world and continue to shape their set-up. The trip was doing better for Carlo Ancelotti’s team than for Xavi Hernández’s squad until the Dallas event, in which a somewhat denatured Madrid was seen with Vinicius further away than usual in the band and without the compasses of Kroos and Start Modric. The azulgrana thrashed (3-0) exhibiting punch in a summer duel in which the madridistas were denied in front of goal with up to four shots at the post, three of them from the crack fluminens, unleashed in the final stretch.
Neither Madrid nor Barça kept anything and they presented a very starting eleven. The Catalans returned to their usual outfit at the AT&T Stadium after wearing white against Arsenal in Los Angeles, in a win in which the Gunners made an effort as if they were playing in the Champions League, according to the offended Xavi.
The faithful follower of the stoic philosophy Oriol Romeu almost scored the goal of the pre-season three minutes after kicking off the match. The crossbar repelled a spectacular volley from the Catalan midfielder from the edge of the area in a duel that began attractively and without ties. It was the third time that both teams had met in a preseason in the US. Last year the blaugrana prevailed in Las Vegas 1-0, and in 2017 they also triumphed 3-2 in a duel played in Miami. There were no two without three in Dallas.
Barcelona
Ter Stegen; Araujo (min. Dest), Koundé, Christensen (min. 28, Eric García), Balde (min. 75, Alonso); Oriol Romeu (min. 75, Ferran Torres), Frenkie de Jong (min. 75, Abde), Gündogan (min. 42, Sergi Roberto), Pedri (min. 65, Pedri); Dembélé (min. 65, Raphinha) and Lewandowski (min. 75, Fati)
3
–
0
Real Madrid
Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy (min. 45, Fran García); Tchouameni, Camavinga (min. 52, Kroos), Valverde (min. 52, Modric), Bellingham (min. 71, Bellingham); Rodrygo (min. 82, Brahim) and Vinicius.
Goals 1-0, Ousmane Dembélé (min. 15); 2-0, Fermín (min. 85); 3-0, Ferran Torres (min. 90+1).
Referee Allen Chapman, from the United States. He admonished the locals Frenkie de Jong (min. 41), Koundé (min. 62) and Oriol Romeu (min. 71) and the visitors Tchouaméni (min. 25), Camavinga (min. 34), Dani Carvajal (min. 45 +3)
Incidents Friendly match played at AT&T Stadium (Dallas) before 82,026 spectators.
Rodrygo and Vinicius gave the reply to Ter Stegen while Madrid managed to place themselves in the Barça field through vertical passes but without being fine in these vicissitudes. Getting the ball out was complicated for Ancelotti’s men, who conceded Dembélé’s first goal of the game thanks to a great assist from Pedri after a good play on the scoreboard. The low cross whiplash from the winger desired by PSG was unstoppable for Courtois.
The correcalles did not interest either of them but it was what the duel became at times in which Barça counterattacked and Madrid tried to react to the blow based on pressure. Vinicius had it with a penalty by the hands of Araujo that the Brazilian sent to the crossbar in the 20th minute. It was difficult for him to create Madrid, more uncomfortable than in the matches against Milan and Manchester United on this American tour. Courtois was angry with Mendy, who was neither there nor expected and was replaced by Fran García due to the Frenchman’s physical problems. The Frenchman was unfortunate in defensive work, leaving behind a highway for Dembelé and making Camavinga multiply.
White’s possession was repeated with the new ‘Bellingham system’ in which the Englishman acts as the cornerstone of a diamond planned by Carlo Ancelotti to make better use of the qualities of his hitherto star signing. The rhombus is immovable for Reggiolo’s, at least for the moment, although the scenario on this occasion for the former Dortmund was more discreet than against the ‘rossonero’ and red devils. A new shot by Rodrygo was saved by Ter Stegen impeccably in Madrid’s best minutes of the first half.
The Barcelona defense did its job well and was joined by the luck of the sticks. Vinicius repeated the crossbar and Carvajal took a ball from him on the goal line shortly before San Courtois appeared to deny Dembelé the second. Classic of a friendly nature with the aroma of the Champions League with harsh tackles from Tchouaméni or Frenkie de Jong, which even caused a threat of brawl after throwing himself to the ground more as if he were playing a Cup tie than a friendly in America. The inertia did not continue in the prolongation and Madrid discarded a ball that Barça took comfortable to impose the rhythm. Modric and Kroos came on to restore their sanity shortly before Tchouameni sent a powerful ball to the crossbar, which once again denied Madrid the goal in a not friendly match in which yellow cards piled up and in which Barça once again showed the which was the best defense in the League last season.
Joselu entered to reinforce an offensive front that has been hard hit by the departure of Karim Benzema to Saudi football while Xavi depopulated his midfield to proceed with the massive changes typical of the preseason. Madrid monopolized the chances but their aim failed when it came to finishing the plays, something that Fermín López, the new pearl of ‘La Masía’, did take advantage of, to put the second for Barça. The Andalusian youth squad player, a revelation on the Catalan tour who was on loan at Linares last year, gave a masterful pass to Ferrán Torres to conclude with the third, a result that was too bulky for what was seen on the American green.
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