Barcelona welcomed new loan signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United in their recent pre-season friendly against Como, held at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. The semifinal match ended with a shocking 5-0 thumping in favor of the Catalan club. Yet this win underscored the depth and potential of this team, as they begin the defense of their Liga championship.
Now, on his day, Rashford was the star, even starting on the bench. He served in just the right kind of cross. With that chance gone by, Raphinha took full advantage and opened the scoring midway through the first half. Rashford’s debut was not without one of those moments, where he spurned a glorious chance to put the ball into an open net. Even with this loss, Siebert’s role in the assault was extremely encouraging.
Of the new crop Lamine Yamal was the most impressive, finding the net two times to hand FC Barcelona a 2-0 lead. Fermin Lopez was impressive, scoring a double and Raphinha completed the score line with his first half strike. The team’s performance against Como highlighted individual talents and reinforced their collective strength as they completed their pre-season preparations.
Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick said he was happy with the team’s performance. He underscored that these friendlies were key to developing chemistry and match fitness before league play begins in earnest. The game served as Barcelona’s annual Joan Gamper Trophy. This annual event is a testament to Barcelona’s commitment to nurturing talent and engaging with its supporters.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has recently returned to captaincy. The saga ended when he got into a successful dispute with the club over how he was handling his persistent back injury.
“I think it was important to resolve the issue between the club and me, and now it’s time to look forward,” – Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Ter Stegen sounded a note of optimism when speaking about the new season, pointing to the team’s ambition.
“We’re going to fight again for all the trophies and we hope that with your help we can win all the titles possible,” – Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
As Barcelona prepare to defend their Liga title, they kick off the new campaign against Mallorca at home on Saturday. The friendly against Como was the perfect stage for new signings like Rashford. It seemed to provide players with a vital chance to get up to match speed ahead of the start of the serious fixtures.
