After a week on tour in the United States, there was a desire to see the new Barça. To observe him against an Arsenal runner-up in the Premier League reinforced and eager for revenge after seven years out of Europe. Eager to see how the pieces of an increasingly rejuvenated team began to fit together and that debuted the pristine white shirt. The new Barça, who experienced the discreet premieres of Gündogan with Cruyff’s ’14’ and Oriol Romeu with the ’18’ left by Jordi Alba, still lacks. They succumbed 5-3 to a much stronger Arsenal that came to the event with three friendlies behind them and that, unlike Barça, closed their summer tour. Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres scored the Barcelona goals in a game where the young Balde and Abde were the best. The only ones who didn’t play because they had problems were Lenglet and Gavi.
The matches of the Barcelona tour are being anything but placid. After suspending the first match against Juventus due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis that affected 15 players on the squad, Barcelona was forced to wait for Arsenal. The chaotic city of Los Angeles had reserved the classic traffic jam that had the Gunner team stuck on the roads for more than half an hour. The game began at 5:00 in the morning, 8:00 p.m. in the city of stars.
During this half hour delay, Barcelona was able to enjoy the impressive facilities of the SoFi Stadium. 72,223 spectators enjoyed the show in the stadium that claims to be the most expensive in the world. It cost 5 billion dollars. The reason is explained by the huge screen that hangs from the roof of the stadium in the shape of a wave and completely open on all four sides. At the foot of the field, there is no shortage of VIP boxes, which have all the necessary gastronomic and hospitality elements. There was no shortage of great athletes like the NBA player Kevin Durant and the singer Daddy Yankee.
The only defect that could be found in the stadium was the grass, laid just 12 hours before the game began. A not insignificant detail, since it prevented the correct circulation of the ball and that angered Xavi and Arteta, two coaches trained at La Masia and who met for the first time on the bench. The technicians agreed to unlimited changes and Xavi opted for two different eleven.
In the first part, the lineup of Sergiño Dest, who played last season on loan at AC Milan and was never to their liking, was surprising. Out of position, the American did not join the attack and in defense he had to keep an eye on Trossard. On the left of Marcos Alonso the situation was not much better. He suffered a lot with Saka. Oriol Romeu and Gündogan were accompanied in their cumbersome debut by a Pedri lacking in rhythm.
Lewandowski played in front, the Brazilian Raphinha on the far right and the left was occupied by Abde, another player who returns after a very good season in Osasuna and whom Xavi wants to convince that he will be important. The Moroccan winger did not miss the opportunity. He was the best of the first half. He sped down his left flank constantly looking for Raphinha. In one of those internees, the Brazilian was about to score, but his kick ran into the Gunner goalkeeper Ramsdale. But Lewandowski was there to finish off the job and open the score.
The joy was short-lived. Oriol Romeu let the ball pass and Arsenal quickly counterattacked. Saka got around Christensen too easily to score the 1-1, beginning 20 minutes of Gunner dominance in which Arteta’s team was able to take the lead on two occasions through the offensives of Saka and Gabriel Jesús. The last forced Ter Stegen to intervene. The German breathed when he saw Saka miss a penalty after some clear hands from Araújo who tried to block a shot from Trossard. The Barça goalkeeper did not even move, he clearly saw how the Englishman sent the ball to the left of his domain.
Despite being a friendly, the tension was undoubtedly the seasoning of the match. In the middle of a real battlefield with the referee handing out cards – he booked Trossard, Havertz and White at Arsenal – Raphinha surprised with a goal from an indirect free kick that ran into Odegaard and ended up in the back of the net that meant the 2-2.
There wasn’t much time to celebrate the Barcelona outpost. Arsenal, very aggressive, drowned the blaugrana with 20 fouls in half an hour of play, making Araújo especially angry, who ended up seeing the yellow card. Then came an unstoppable cross from Saka that Odegaard headed in and Havertz deflected into the back of the net to make it 2-2. All open for the second half.
After the break, Xavi changed the entire team. Iñaki Peña was in goal, Sergi Roberto replaced Dest and made his debut as first captain. Balde, on the left side, showed a great connection with Ansu Fati and Dembélé. The midfield was occupied by the transferable Kessié, Frenkie De Jong and the youth player Fermín López who made his debut with the first team for just 20 minutes. The defense went to Koundé and Eric Garcia.
Precisely a low shot with Trossard’s left foot dodged Koundé and beat Iñaki Peña to make it 3-2. The second goalkeeper, eager to show off, boasted of his reflexes and was able to save a shot from Smith Rowe. Arsenal’s goal festival ended with Trossard’s second goal and another great goal from outside the box by Fabián Vieira, the fifth. The last few minutes for Barcelona went to Lamine Yamal, who surprised with a threaded shot that went slightly wide. Ferran Torres tried to make up the result a bit by scoring Barcelona’s third goal. Two shots to the post, by Dembélé and Balde, could have changed the score.
