July 24, (THEWILL) – In a friendly El Clasico match in Las Vegas, new signing, Raphinha, scored a debut goal, giving Barcelona their preseason victory over Spanish arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
The match was played in front of 61,000 spectators at Allegiant Stadium in the renowned American Vegas metropolis and fans of both clubs were excited to see Barça and Real faced off in a match in which Robert Lewandowski made his unofficial Catalan debut.
Strong lineups were chosen by both sides, showcasing the depth of their respective squads. However, Barcelona had already played two preseason games before this one, and it was evident as Real returned to the field for the first time since their latest UEFA Champions League triumph.
Both teams had about equal amounts of possession of the ball, but Xavi’s team made greater use of it, creating more opportunities and even troubling Thibaut Courtois in the Real goal. In the opposite direction, Los Blancos could muster only nine attempts, all of which were unsuccessful. However, they were without the talismanic Karim Benzema.
Following a recent transfer from Leeds, Raphinha played in his second Barça game when he scored the game-winning goal in the 27th minute. Yet, mass substitutions in the second half threw off the game’s rhythm and shortly before halftime, a scuffle broke out, serving as a fiery reminder that even in preseason, there is still hostility and competitive rivalry between the clubs.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
