La Liga champions Barcelona kicked off their pre-season tour of Japan with a 3-1 victory over J1 League leaders Vissel Kobe on Sunday, in a match that saw a much-anticipated debut for new signing Marcus Rashford.
A strong starting XI, led by a vibrant Lamine Yamal wearing the iconic No. 10 shirt for the first time, took an early lead through a set-piece goal from Eric García. However, the hosts, who are in the middle of their domestic season and in excellent form, fought back to level the score at 1-1 before halftime.
Manager Hansi Flick made wholesale changes at the interval, introducing an entirely new team for the second half. This included the first appearance of Marcus Rashford, who completed his loan move from Manchester United earlier in the week. The England international was stationed on the left wing and was described as “lively,” though he was unable to find a finishing touch.
Instead, it was another debutant who stole the headlines. Swedish youngster Roony Bardghji came off the bench to score what proved to be the winning goal for the visitors with a superb curling effort.
Barcelona’s victory was sealed late in the game when another talented young prospect from La Masia, Pedro Fernández, scored the team’s third with a well-struck half-volley from the edge of the box.
Overall, it was a successful start to pre-season for the Spanish champions. The win provided valuable fitness, a chance to see new signings in action, and a promising glimpse of the immense young talent coming through the ranks, giving fans plenty of reason for optimism ahead of the new campaign.