The Pole had half a dozen occasions to debut
Barça closes the tour with a new victory and a lot of potential
MADRID, 31 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona beat New York Red Bull (0-2) this Saturday in the last match of the pre-season tour in the United States, thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembélé and Memphis Depay, a good performance that accompanied optimism generated by the pile of reinforcements to fight for the titles this upcoming campaign.
Xavi Hernández’s team imposed their favoritism in the last friendly match on the other side of the pond -three wins and a draw-, before returning to Barcelona, ??where Joan Gamper will play on August 7th and on August 13, also at the Camp Nou, they will make their debut in LaLiga Santander against Rayo Vallecano.
The New York team wanted to press up and make the culé team uncomfortable, but they barely managed it 15 minutes in the first half and even less in the second. Barça commanded and was vertical in the Red Bull Arena, but they lacked aim. A wry smile escaped Robert Lewandowski after forgiving his umpteenth chance to score his first Barça goal, before being substituted in the 76th minute.
Those of Xavi, with his golden shirt really this Saturday -early morning in Spain-, looked for the Polish striker, with Rapinha and Dembélé as starting wingers, and the former Bayern player also knew how to cook by himself. The Brazilian and the French extended their good preseason sensations, also the numbers.
Dembélé was the one who opened the can in the 40th minute, running from one band to another and into a wall with Rapinha. A shot from high Yearwood was the local option, but Xavi’s men began to forgive too much after solving that demanding start. Lewandowski missed a header, another occasion in which he dribbled past several rivals and a third almost in a row in front of the goalkeeper.
Gavi, also a starter along with Busquets and a Frenkie de Jong back in midfield, went from more to less, but Barça kept coming, and ‘Lewy’ bordering on the goal. In the end, it had to be Dembélé, who seems to have the aim almost exclusively, who shot the 0-1, his fourth goal in the United States. The break brought many changes, including that of a ‘touched’ Christensen.
The two chances that New York had were from Omir Fernández, but Barça took command right away. Again, Lewandowski was not released for a short time, also generating for his teammates. Xavi’s team played and moved the ball well, with few minutes for Pedri on the pitch and a good display for Kessie, but the aim remained pending, with the Pole laughingly admitting a kind of jinx. Ansu Fati, one of the changes, did not have his day either.
The Spanish international was able to increase the score on several occasions but he was not fine, the protagonist of the last succession of visitor arrivals. In minute 87, Memphis, who came on for Lewandowski, was the one who sealed the Barça victory, taking advantage of a long pass from Pjanic that made the rival goalkeeper and their defense hesitate, with the Dutch striker’s good anticipation.
Barça, who thrashed Inter Miami (0-6), beat Real Madrid (0-1) and drew with Juventus (2-2), returns home with the team in good shape, looking like they are goals fall but when they enter. Meanwhile, Xavi is still waiting for more reinforcements in a busy and prolific summer that gives his men good weapons to return to the ointment.
