Pau Victor netted a brace to lead Barcelona to a victory over their rivals and La Liga champions Real Madrid in a friendly match held in the United States.
Real Madrid played without key players Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, who missed the club’s U.S. tour after participating in the European Championship in Germany for England and France, respectively.
In this season’s first El Clasico, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the game was interrupted 12 minutes in due to a severe storm, causing a delay of over an hour before play resumed.
Barcelona took the lead just before halftime when 22-year-old forward Victor headed in a cross from Robert Lewandowski. Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, made a notable save from Lewandowski, but Victor scored again shortly after the break, doubling the lead for Hansi Flick’s side.
Real Madrid’s Nico Paz scored a late goal, but Barcelona held on to secure the win.
Victor’s double brings his total to three goals in Barcelona’s U.S. tour, having also scored in a 2-2 draw against Premier League champions Manchester City earlier in the week.
Ancelotti Unconcerned by Recent Defeats
This defeat marks Real Madrid’s second loss of their U.S. tour, following a 1-0 loss to AC Milan last week.
They are set to face Premier League side Chelsea on August 6 in North Carolina. Despite the back-to-back losses, Real Madrid’s manager Carlo Ancelotti remains unconcerned.
Vinicius Jr made his first appearance of the summer, showing promise for the Spanish giants. Ancelotti emphasized that these matches are primarily for player conditioning rather than results.
“We’re focusing on preparations and getting players back into the team. The outcome isn’t crucial,” Ancelotti stated. “The goal is to give players minutes and get them in good shape. We’re not emphasising tactical aspects; that will start on the seventh [of August].
“We’re not worried. It’s a pre-season game, and we’re missing eight players.”