Barcelona’s preparations for the new LaLiga season ended with a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Olympic Stadium on Monday. The Barcelona Monaco match highlighted defensive weaknesses that the team must address before LaLiga begins. #BarcelonaMonacoMatch
Lamine Camara, Breel Embolo, and Christian Mawissa scored in the second half. Their goals made Ligue 1 side Monaco the first team to beat Barça in their annual curtain-raiser since Sampdoria in 2012.
The loss wraps up a mixed preseason for Barça under new coach Hansi Flick. They had wins against Manchester City and Real Madrid but lost to AC Milan in the United States.
This summer’s international tournaments and injuries have prevented Flick from fielding his strongest side so far, with Ronald Araújo, Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong among those still sidelined with fitness issues.
Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal did feature for the first time in preseason against Monaco, coming off the bench in the second half, but Ilkay Gündogan was forced off with an injury.
Barça kick off the new LaLiga season on Saturday with a difficult trip to Valencia.
Monaco, meanwhile, will begin the new Ligue 1 campaign with confidence at home to Saint-Étienne this weekend after a resounding win against the Catalan side.
Barça had the better of a quiet first half with striker Pau Victor, who scored a brace against Madrid last week, missing the best chance. #BarcelonaMonacoMatch
Monaco capitalized on their opportunities, demonstrating impressive efficiency and skill. As a result, the Barcelona Monaco match ended in a decisive victory for Monaco, casting doubts on Barcelona’s readiness for the upcoming season. Consequently, Barcelona needs to make strategic adjustments.
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