Barcelona’s summer has been defined by two of the more eye-catching signings anywhere in Europe this window.
Rodri arrived from Manchester City on a €60million deal, bringing the reigning Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup Golden Ball recipient to the Camp Nou.
Anthony Gordon’s move from Newcastle carried its own surprise factor, an €80million deal that beat competition from Bayern Munich and saw the England international fulfil a boyhood dream he’d spoken about since childhood.
Both new arrivals have been eased into pre-season gradually, with Hansi Flick keen to build fitness levels before the serious business of the La Liga season begins.
That build-up reached its traditional conclusion on Wednesday night, with Barcelona’s pre-season campaign wrapping up in front of their own supporters at the Camp Nou.
The result was a 2-1 win over Al Ahly that secured Barcelona the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Gordon made his first appearance on home soil for his new club, though the night ended with mixed feelings after he saw a stoppage-time penalty saved, denying him a debut goal.
Rodri, meanwhile, took to the pitch for the pre-match presentation but didn’t feature in the game itself.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 29th minute through 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who tapped home a cross from Alejandro Balde.
The Egyptian teenager chose not to celebrate out of respect for his former club, having previously come through Al Ahly’s own academy system before his move to Catalonia.
Raphinha doubled the lead two minutes before half-time, converting from the spot after being fouled inside the box.
Al Ahly responded six minutes into the second half, with Monsef Bakrar teeing up Zizo for a powerful left-footed finish that beat goalkeeper Joan Garcia and cut the deficit back to one.
Barcelona held on from there to seal the trophy and bring their pre-season schedule to a close.
Attention now turns to the opening weekend of the new La Liga campaign, with Flick’s side facing an away trip to Elche on Sunday.
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