Hansi Flick’s Barcelona endured a bruising 3-0 defeat against Ligue 1 side Monaco in their final pre-season friendly before the start of the La Liga season. This setback marks a disappointing end to what was otherwise a successful US tour for the Catalan giants, where they even managed to secure a victory over rivals Real Madrid. The match, held at the Olympic Stadium, was part of Barcelona’s traditional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser.
Monaco took the lead early in the second half through Lamine Camara, before Breel Embolo swiftly doubled the advantage. Things went from bad to worse for Barcelona as Ilkay Gundogan left the game after suffering a blow to the head. Flick, looking to spark some life into his flat team, brought on the highly touted Spain’s Euro 2024 star Lamine Yamal. While Yamal injected some brief excitement, Barcelona ultimately fell further behind with Christian Mawissa smashing home Monaco’s third goal late in the game.
Barcelona, aiming to reclaim the Spanish title from rivals Real Madrid, will now face a daunting opening La Liga fixture against Valencia on Saturday. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, buoyed by the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, will begin their domestic campaign on Sunday against Real Mallorca.
