In front of a roaring sell-out crowd at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Manchester City faced a nail-biting defeat against Barcelona, losing 4-1 on penalties after an exhilarating 2-2 draw. With 63,237 fans watching, Kalvin Phillips and Jacob Wright saw their penalties saved, marking an unfortunate end to an otherwise thrilling pre-season friendly.
Barcelona struck first when Pau Victor delivered a low, precise finish. City responded with Nico O’Reilly’s equalizer, only to see Pablo Torre put Barcelona back in front just before halftime. The second half saw Jack Grealish’s stunning top-corner strike, set up by Mateo Kovacic, levelling the score once again.
Despite pressing hard for a winner, Pep Guardiola’s side eventually succumbed to the lottery of penalties in their third pre-season encounter.
City’s American adventure began with two defeats, but their performances showed promise. The Orlando match was no exception, starting with a sharp attack where Kalvin Phillips, playing at centre-half, sent a raking ball to Grealish, whose fierce low shot almost opened the scoring.
Erling Haaland nearly netted the opener with a header from Oscar Bobb’s exquisite cross, but Barcelona’s keeper, Inaki Pena, managed a goal-line save. Pena was tested repeatedly, notably by Grealish’s dangerous free-kick and Phillips’ powerful shot.
Barcelona’s Marc Casado fired a warning shot just over the bar before Pau Victor found the net, slipping the ball past Ederson following a clever setup. City remained resilient, with intricate play creating chances for Kovacic and others.
City’s relentless pressure paid off when O’Reilly’s intelligent run and finish equalized the score, assisted by a precise pass from Josko Gvardiol. The young talent’s goal was a testament to City’s dominance, despite Barcelona’s intermittent threats.
However, the joy was short-lived as Pablo Torre capitalized on a smart dummy from Victor, putting Barcelona ahead again right before halftime.
City resumed with oomph, thanks to dynamic link-up play between Kovacic and substitute Maximo Perrone. The breakthrough came when Kovacic, orchestrating from his half, released Grealish. Despite a challenging angle, Grealish fired a stunning shot into the top corner, making it 2-2.
As the clock ticked down, City continued to press, with Rico Lewis having a penalty appeal waved away and Micah Hamilton narrowly missing the target. A critical challenge from Callum Doyle stopped Robert Lewandowski from scoring a last-minute winner for Barcelona.
The match headed to a penalty shootout. Barcelona’s Ander Astralaga denied both Phillips and Wright, while Barcelona converted their kicks with precision, sealing a 4-1 victory in the shootout.
Main Image: Sporting News
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