Three takeaways from Barcelona 2-1 Al Ahly | Joan Gamper Trophy

Three takeaways from Barcelona 2-1 Al Ahly | Joan Gamper Trophy Barcelona’s final pre-season game of the summer kicked off against Al Ahly last evening at the Spotify Camp Nou in a night of celebration as the club hosted their annual Joan Gamper Gala. The Catalans finished on top with a 2-1 win. Hamza Abdelkarim and Raphinha were the goalscorers on the night, and it was Zizo who pulled one back for the visitors in the second half. The performance that Hansi Flick’s side delivered, however, was far more dominant than the scoreline suggests as they racked up an xG of 4.26 in 90 minutes compared to the opponents’ 0.52. Most of the first-team players featured on the night, except Rodri, except for young Bardghji, Pau Cubarsi and young talent Ebrima Tunkara. Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 2-1 Al Ahly. Hamza’s killer instinct Hamza Abdelkarim scored against his former team. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Barcelona’s pursuit of a new striker is not going quite to plan, and it is clear that the Catalans continue to see a massive void after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Julian Alvarez was the club’s top transfer target but appears to have slipped away now, while Lautaro Martinez is also looking increasingly unlikely as a target. Young Hamza Abdelkarim, on that front, has provided some support to the team in the number nine position in pre-season, and last night he carried on the same form. The Barcelona Atletic player has stood out through pre-season as a player with a killer instinct in front of the goal and has regularly found himself at the right place at the right time to put the ball into the back of the net. Last night, he again opened the scoring for Barcelona, making it four goals in pre-season for Barcelona. It is undeniable that the player has a special profile and that his future is very bright, and he is already making a strong case to be a regular starter for Barcelona.  Still lacking rhythm Barcelona are still lacking rhythm. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The friendly clash that it is, the Joan Gamper Trophy game last night saw the manager have out minutes to as many players as possible with the XI that finished the game completely different from the XI that started it. While the circumstances are indeed not the best to draw conclusions, it was glaringly obvious throughout the game that Barcelona were simply lacking the rhythm and cohesion that makes them dominant. A significant part of the team only returned to training a week ago, making the lack of coordination understandable. Several stars were still sluggish and the passing was far from fluid. As understandable as the situation may be, however, the fact of the matter is that Barcelona’s new season officially kicks off this weekend and the dressing room does not have long before they must move like clockwork on the field. The coming week, thus, will be critical for Flick to get his men back to speed and performing at the level they are accustomed to. A festival to kick off the season Barcelona capped off pre-season preparations with a win. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The Joan Gamper Trophy is about far more than just the ninety minutes of football. It is a tradition for Barcelona and holds cultural significance as the team’s curtain-raiser for the new season. In that sense, last night’s event lived up to the billing as the Spotify Camp Nou celebrated through the evening to welcome the team back. For starters, the players were individually presented to the fans and the Spanish contingent got a warm welcome upon their return as champions. The new signings Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Rodri were then presented to the fans, with only Joao Cancelo painfully missing out owing to paperwork delays. Barcelona’s new first-captain Raphinha then took over and delivered an emphatic speech to the fans, congratulating the World Cup winners, welcoming the new arrivals and vowing to give their best in the season ahead. Even Hansi Flick spoke in detail to the fans about his vision for the team, the work they are putting in and the special connection he has built with the city in recent years. All the celebrations, coupled with the win, capped off a perfect night for Barcelona and ensured that their season begins in the best way possible.