It is difficult to know what thoughts and feelings go through Ousmane Dembélé’s head, especially when Ansu Fati went to the band to hug him and dedicate the goal with which Barcelona won the last preseason game against Milan. (0-1).
The Frenchman has lived for 15 days with their corresponding 14 nights all the intensity of the American tour together with his teammates, coaching staff and management knowing that they are the last ones after six years. He will not start the seventh season. He will not be in Montjuïc. The French winger who arrived in 2017 to fill the void left by Neymar and which cost 150 million euros between fixed and variable, will leave without knowing what it is to win a Champions League.
As happened with Neymar on the American tour that in 2017 took Barça to Miami, the last goal Dembélé will remember is the one he scored at A
Everything changed in Las Vegas. Dembélé stepped together with Ansu Fati and Kessié on the grass of the Allegiant Stadium, which with a capacity for 65,000 spectators, presented a discreet entrance. Dressed in the street with the Barcelona sweatshirt and the hood on, Dembélé sat on the bench. Xavi left him off the list. Along with him, the also called-up Kessié, a footballer who is on the starting ramp, Iñigo Martínez, injured and Gavi, unprecedented on this tour with back discomfort although he has trained with the team, also remained on the bench.
Meritocracy continues to be Xavi Hernández’s favorite recipe, who in the last friendly opted for an eleven full of changes and in which he renounced the formula of four midfielders with Abde and Raphinha occupying the extremes. Only Araújo repeated on the right side and captain of the team, Koundé in the axis of the defense, Oriol Romeu as conductor and Pedri in the right interior.
Iñaki Peña completed the 90 minutes under the sticks and Xavi also offered the first start to Fermín López, inside on the left wing. The 20-year-old youth squad, the revelation of the preseason, exchanged his position with Pedri, with whom he showed a great connection. Also with Oriol Romeu, a defensive pivot who did not have the help of Frenkie De Jong in the double pivot.
When both interiors began to participate more in the game installed in the opposite field, it was when the game began to flow from the Barcelona side connecting with Abde, very awake on the far left. The Moroccan, with two dribbles and a wall with Pedri, showed that he can have a place at Barça. Even more with the departure of Dembélé.
The substitute for the French winger was Raphinha who threatened the Italians with a shot from a distance but well adjusted to the post that Maignan deflected for a corner. Rightly so, the Brazilian claimed a penalty after receiving an elbow from Tomori in the mouth. Koundé had it before, who stamped the ball on the crossbar.
The French center-back suffered with the arrivals of Rafa Leao, the best in Milan. He also bothered Reijnders, one of Milan’s new signings who ran into Iñaki Peña’s feet on two occasions. The first half ended with a header from Ferran Torres to the far post and a Barça team that missed the fluidity provided by the four midfielders.
However, Xavi kept the idea in the second half but with a carousel of changes. He kept Oriol Romeu in the pivot and placed Sergi Roberto on the inside left and Frenkie De Jong on the right. Lewandowski occupied the place of Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati that of Abde. The free verse was Alejandro Balde owner and lord of the left lane. He contributing much more speed and imbalance in attack than Marcos Alonso. Bucket also has his connections. He entered with speed and looked for Ansu Fati who opened the can with a powerful thread. Fati went to celebrate with Kessié and hugged Dembélé.
When Lamine Yamal began to warm up on the wing to replace Raphiha, the referee canceled Barcelona’s second goal for offside by Araújo who returned to the axis of the defense to head a pass from Lewandowski ahead. Dest also came out. Surpassed by Leao who stole the ball and made Araújo dizzy. He assisted Reijnders who finished off a deflected shot on goal.
The game ended with the entry of the youngsters from the subsidiary who had not yet had minutes. Marc Casadó replaced Oriol Romeu. Frenkie de Jong finished as a central defender so that Aleix Garrido and Mika Faye danced together in the axis of the defense. And Alex Valle replaced Balde before he connected again with Ansu Fati. Pogeba avoided the goal. Lamine Yamal tested himself with a thread from outside the area and Dembelé, with a nostalgic smile, looked at everything from the bench.
FC Barcelona: Inaki Peña; Araújo (Garrido, 84′), Koundé (Dest, 68′), Eric Garcia (Faye, 84′) Marcos Alonso (Balde, 46′) (Álex Valle, 84′); Pedri (De Jong, 46′), Oriol Romeu (Marc Casadó, 80′), Fermín López (Sergi Roberto, 46′); Raphinha (Lamine Yamal, 68′), Ferran Torres (Lewandowski, 46′), Abde (Ansu, 46′)
Ac Milan: Maignan; Florenzi (Kalulu, 64′), Thiaw (Romero, 73′), Tomori (Saelemaekers, 86′), Theo Hernández (Bartesaghi, 80′); Loftus-Cheek, Krunic (Pogeba, 73′), Reijnders; Pulisic (Colombo, 73′), Giroud (Kjaer, 73′), Leao
Goals: 1-0, Ansu Fati, 55′
Referee: Alex Chilowicz. Cards to Marcos (8′), Loftus-Cheek (28′)
Stadium: Allegiant Stadium. 38,986 viewers
