Barcelona continued their pre-season tour on Thursday with a wild 7-3 victory over South Korean side FC Seoul, in a match that showcased both their incredible attacking firepower and their persistent defensive fragility.
The first half was dominated by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Wearing the iconic No. 10 shirt, the 18-year-old was instrumental in the opening goal for Robert Lewandowski before scoring a brilliant brace himself to give Barça a narrow 3-2 lead at the break, with the hosts twice capitalizing on Barcelona’s vulnerable high defensive line.
Manager Hansi Flick rotated his entire lineup for the second half, but the onslaught continued. Andreas Christensen scored a long-range rocket before Gavi and a quick-fire double from substitute Ferran Torres put the game well beyond the reach of the K League 1 side.
New loan signing Marcus Rashford played the second half and looked lively. While he didn’t get his first goal for the club as some had predicted, he did register his first goal contribution, providing a smart assist for Ferran Torres’s second goal to round off the scoring.
Despite the stellar offensive display, the main takeaway from the ten-goal thriller is clear. Offensively, Barcelona’s attack looks to be in devastating midseason form already. However, the three goals conceded, often from simple balls played in behind their high line, prove that the team’s “Achilles heel” from last season remains.
Hansi Flick will be delighted with his team’s clinical finishing, but he will also know that significant work is needed to fix the “leaky defense” before the competitive season begins.