Raphinha scored Barcelona’s decisive goal in the first half of their match against Real Madrid, according to the headlines.
- Real Madrid substitute Asensio blows a wonderful opportunity to tie the score after the break.
Courtois stops Kessié and Dembélé to prevent Barça from scoring a second.
Lewandowski makes his debut for the Blaugrana Rüdiger and Tchouaméni’s debuts in Madrid
Carlos Forjanes of AS evaluates each Real Madrid player’s performance at Allegiant Stadium, praising Thibaut Courtois in goal and criticising David Alaba and Éder Milito in the centre of the defence.
In their preseason friendly on Saturday in Las Vegas, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 1-0, marking Robert Lewandowski’s Barcelona debut.
However, Raphinha, who is 33, had to share the spotlight because her lone goal in the 27th minute was ultimately what decided the game.
The Blaugrana opened with almost a full-strength starting XI, with Andreas Christensen coming in ahead of Gerard Pique, while Xavi was able to take his place on the sidelines after being granted admission into the United States.
To open the game,
Watch Barcelona goal on Real Madrid now!!
Carlo Ancelotti kept a number of his starters on the bench.
Ferland Mendy and the midfield duo of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga replaced the starters Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos.
Midway through the first half of what would eventually be a timid match, Raphinha scored the game-winning goal by shooting from the top of the penalty area after Barcelona quickly regained possession up the field.
In the second half, players like Pedri and Sergio Busquets were substituted off, giving the appearance of a sparring match. Despite opportunities for Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona held on.
On Saturday, Barcelona defeated their bitter rivals Real Madrid for the second time in two games.
The match in Las Vegas featured a fight of emotions and fervour on the field, as well as strong competition. In the end, Raphinha’s breathtaking goal in the first half was all that stood between the two teams.
It became very evident during the course of the 90 minutes that El Clasico is inherently hostile. Both sides competed as if it were their last game, despite the fact that there was nothing at stake.
Along with the high calibre football, reckless challenges, disagreements, and fights dominated the game. The Catalans could have scored at least four goals if it weren’t for Thibaut Courtois.
Barcelona is unbeaten after three preseason games. No player had a bad game for the Blaugranas, therefore there are many positives to take away from their performance. With that in mind, we evaluate Xavi’s team.
The German international played in the game’s first 60 minutes and shown reasonable consistency on the field.
He hardly misplayed a pass that night, and his distribution was impeccable. He wasn’t really put to the test at Allegiant Arena,
as Real Madrid failed to register a single shot on goal over the full 90 minutes.
Araujo, Ronald: 8
Over the past year, the Uruguayan has developed a reputation as a beast on the field,
and he lived up to that expectation against Real Madrid.
Throughout the whole game, Araujo pocketed Vinicius Jr. and hardly gave the Brazilian room to breathe. He might be argued to be Barcelona’s best right back as well as centre back.
7.5 for Andreas Christensen
The newly signed player started his first El Clasico that evening and performed admirably. Christensen was cool-headed, reliable, and unafraid to occasionally throw lobbed or vertical passes.
7 Eric Garcia
In the absence of Gerard Pique, the Spanish international oversaw the Blaugrana defence. In front of thousands of Real Madrid supporters, Garcia and Christensen made sure Eden Hazard was quiet.
Garcia’s performance was significant even on a personal level, knowing how Jules Kounde’s impending arrival might affect his playing time.
7.5 ordi alba
In the first half, Alba was a constant threat down the left flank, demonstrating why he is crucial to Xavi’s system. He frequently assisted the club in navigating through the Real Madrid midfield because to his connections with Pedri and Ansu Fati.
Gavi: 6.5
He was essential to the team’s constant pressing as he left the locker room with his customary ferocity and work rate.
(7) Sergio Busquets
In the first half, the veteran midfielder outperformed Los Blancos’ young midfield. He served as the centrepiece of any Catalan build-up and was flawless in defence.
Raphinha: 8.5
The Brazilian preseason player for Barcelona has already tallied two goals and two assists in 90 minutes. He scored a miraculous goal against Real Madrid to end the game. In the 26th minute, Raphinha pounced on a loose ball outside the penalty area and slammed it past a helpless Courtois and into the top corner.
Barcelona overcame Real Madrid 1-0 in their Las Vegas Clasico on Saturday as Raphinha scored his second goal in as many games.
Raphinha scored the only goal of the high-profile match at Allegiant Stadium, the $1.97 billion, 65,000-seat home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. Raphinha was acquired from Premier League Leeds United earlier this month for approximately $60 million. He made his debut in a 6-0 thrashing of Inter Miami.
A careless ball from Real’s Eder Militao along the top of the area was intercepted by the Brazilian who was in the ideal position. He took a moment to gather himself before unleashing a left-footed effort over Thibaut Courtois and into the top right corner of the goal to give Barcelona the lead 1-0.
The second Clasico ever held in the United States had all the ferocity of the long-running rivalry. It was the fourth Clasico to be played outside of Spain.
Real Madrid, playing in their first preseason friendly, came close to scoring in the 18th minute, but Federico Valverde’s volley from 25 yards out beat Marc-Andre Ter Stegen but was stopped by the post. Valverde had seized the ball after a poor clearance by Jordi Alba.
Two minutes later, Eduardo Camavinga turned the ball over to Pedri in front of Real’s goal, giving Barcelona a chance that they let go. Pedri found Fati, who forced Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to leave his position but missed the far post with his attempt.
