Daegu FC 0–5 Barcelona
Barcelona cruised to their third preseason win over Daegu FC in South Korea before returning to the Catalan city, with Hansi Flick’s team once again looking sharp.
First half: Lamine Yamal show
Barcelona showed little compassion to their opponents in the first half of the match in Daegu, fielding an almost complete starting lineup. Gerard Martin started his second game at centre-back, and 17-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez was also given a start. He had several good touches in the first half and delivered the pass for Gavi’s opener, a superb finish from the edge of the box for the Spain international.
Martin was involved in the second, as he sprang up at his more usual left-back position to provide a superb ball across the box, setting up Robert Lewandowski to finish with ease in the area. Dro could have added a second preseason goal, but he was unable to keep the ball down from close range as he attacked Alejandro Balde’s great ball in.
Others wowed, but it was Lamine Yamal’s performance in South Korea that stood out. Unfortunately, Raphinha failed to convert a fantastic cross into a goal. Still, the 18-year-old danced between defenders and accelerated away from them with ease, barely missing the final touch twice or three times.
Raphinha would redeem himself just before halftime when he saw a pass for Gavi, freeing him in the box. He finished superbly, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net. Barcelona’s only sticky moment came after Daegu escaped down the left and Joan Garcia failed to cut the ball across in time. With the goal gaping, Geovani lofted the ball wide and high.
In the second half, Barcelona’s Jofre Torrents and Toni Fernandez led the attack down the left, while Marcus Rashford moved inside. The latter was the culmination of a superb move slicing through for the fourth, which completed nicely, one of numerous passages that demonstrated his brilliance.
Fernandez, Dani Olmo, Marc Casado, and Pedri kept Daegu on the back foot. Roony Bardghji and Torrents also found themselves in strong positions, but were unable to finish due to saves, deflections, and blocks. Barcelona had to wait until the 65th minute for their final goal, with Eric Garcia drawing the ball back for Marcus Rashford to shoot into the bottom corner from the penalty spot.
The only concern for Barcelona was the departure of Pau Cubarsi, who appeared to have taken a knock. With three minutes remaining, Barcelona will hope the situation is not critical. Inigo Martinez and Fermin Lopez did not play due to fitness concerns, and Ferran Torres also did not participate; however, it is unclear whether this was due to fitness concerns as well.
It concludes a successful tour for Hansi Flick and Barcelona, in which they exhibited one or two questionable moments at the back but were largely impressed with their ball movement, the overall quality of their play, and the ease with which they created chances. Youngsters Dro, Toni Fernandez, and Bardghji seemed like cogs in the machine, while Rashford showed signs of his potential.
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