Are pre-season friendlies really not that important? Even though top clubs in Europe see pre-season games as a warm-up for official competition, El Clasicos are always more than just a game. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid share one of the most fiercely contested rivalries in the sport, with history going as far back as 1902.
The Blaugrana got the better of their rivals on Saturday night as the two sides locked horns at MetLife Stadium. A brace from new man Pau Victor proved to be too much for the Champions League winners as the final score read 2-1 on the night. Despite an impressive performance by Barcelona’s youngsters, a comment made by Carlo Ancelotti seemed to grab all the headlines.
This match is not important. This is just to regain our fitness, that's it.Carlo Ancelotti said in a post-match interview
Following in his precedent, Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also asserted that Madrid will perform better than Barca in official competitions. Courtois himself had a remarkable performance, making 4 crucial saves that helped keep the deficit to one.
Barcelona continue winning streak as exciting pre-season continues
Hansi Flick‘s arrival has managed to rejuvenate FC Barcelona as an institution. Even though the club are struggling to complete signings and negotiate with their favorite targets, Flick has done a really good job making do with the talented youngsters at his disposal. Following a 2-2 draw against Manchester City (which they eventually won on penalties), Barcelona continued their winning form with a 2-1 win over Real Madrid.
Pau Victor opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, when a generous Robert Lewandowski set up the youngster for an easy tap-in. After threatening to score from long range in the early minutes of the second half, Victor finally secured his brace after skilfully getting on the end of a cross from Alex Valle.
Madrid fought back valiantly, although their only response came from a header in the 82nd minute from Nico Paz. Arda Guler‘s brilliant corner evaded every opposition player and gave Paz the opportunity to blast his header past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Despite the win, Flick seemed to be unimpressed owing to his lack of emotion on the touchline. He also pointed out that his side needs to improve on a lot of things, starting with how they press their opponents. Barca face AC Milan on Tuesday for their final friendly of pre-season.
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