Barcelona 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Aug 8, 2023) Game Analysis
Barcelona scored three goals in 12 minutes to stun Tottenham Hotspur and win the Joan Gamper Trophy on Tuesday.
The Catalan club trailed 2-1 with nine minutes of regulation remaining, but Ferran Torres equalised before Ansu Fati put Barca ahead in the 90th minute and Abde Ezzalzouli made it 4-2 in stoppage time.
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All three had come on in the 61st minute after Barca had an early lead through Robert Lewandowski and Spurs’ Oliver Skipp scored twice before half-time to give his side a 2-1 lead.
Barca, who begin their LaLiga title defence away to Getafe on Sunday, rounded up their preseason with a fourth win in five matches.
The encounter was Barca’s first game at the Monjuic Olympic Stadium, the team’s temporary home for the 2023-24 season with the Camp Nou undergoing a revamp.
Barca’s summer reinforcements Ilkay Gündogan, Oriol Romeu and Iñigo Martínez were all presented to a crowd of over 35,244 ahead of the game and coach Xavi Hernandez addressed the fans saying that “winning all the titles is his team’s biggest aim this season.”
France forward Ousmane Dembele, who is expected to join Paris Saint-Germain on a €50 million transfer, and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie, who is finalizing a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, were left out of the squad.
Spurs’ Harry Kane, meanwhile, remained in London with his club in talks with Bayern Munich over his potential transfer.
Barca wasted no time and took a third-minute lead when LaLiga’s top scorer last season Lewandowski struck from point-blank range after a fantastic run from Raphinha and the Brazilian should have doubled the lead soon after only for his close-range attempt to go over the bar.
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was then forced to stretch to keep out Lewandowski’s 30-yard effort.
Midway through the first half, Spurs equalised. Reguilon found Giovanni Lo Celso in the box and the Argentinian’s effort came off the post but Skipp was there for the tap in.
Tottenham pressed forward and went ahead in the 37th minute when Skipp headed Ivan Perisic‘s cross into the back of the net.
Gündogan was one of six Barca players that came on after the hour mark, with the Germany midfielder getting a big ovation from the crowd as he entered the pitch. Barca looked more dangerous and got the equaliser in the 81st minute when Yamine Lamal squared the ball into the area and Torres, who made no mistake from six yards.
A brilliant move by Lamal left Spurs defence scrambling and he picked out Torres with a square pass who then fed Fati in the box for a perfect finish to put Barca ahead.
Barca completed a wonderful night when Fermin Lopez set up Abde in the area and he struck the ball into the back of the net.
Tottenham begin Premier League play away to Brentford on Saturday.
