EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pau Victor was the surprise star of Barcelona’s 2-1 win over rivals Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium on Saturday when the former member of the club’s reserve team scored a brace in a preseason edition of El Clasico.
Real Madrid got off to a quick start and racked up five shots within the opening 40 minutes but without stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, both of whom are still on vacation after making deep runs with their respective national teams at the Euros, an inability to finish became apparent. They maintained control in possession but their inefficiency in attack provided a perfect opening for a more clinical Barcelona.
Victor scored his first in the 42nd minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area. Robert Lewandowski received a cross while he was right in front of the goal, but his imperfect touch meant he could not take a decent shot and so the ball bounced to his right. Victor was quick to react as the ball floated in the air, thrusting his head in the right direction for a finish from close range.
The 22-year-old scored again in the 54th minute off another shot from close range. Alex Valle made a run down the right flank and played a short cross right in front of goal where Victor was making a run. He was sliding towards goal as he made contact with his foot, sending the ball into the back of the net in the process.
The two teams continued to rack up shots as the game progressed, with Real Madrid closing the gap courtesy of Nico Paz’s goal in the 82nd minute. Paz scored from close range following an impressive individual effort.
Though the teams played a fairly even game on possession and nearly matched each other for shots, their finishing ability is what made the difference. Barcelona put six shots out of 11 on target, while Real Madrid had the same amount of shots but just three on frame.
The match was interrupted in the 16th minute by a lightning-induced weather delay, which halted the game for an hour and 12 minutes. The teams resumed play on a rain-soaked field but were uninterrupted after the delay, which forced them to truncate halftime into a five-minute period.
Victor’s brace comes just days after he scored in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City in preseason, emerging as an unexpected standout during the club’s U.S. tour. The 22-year-old is a product of the Girona academy, but joined Barcelona’s reserve team on loan last season, for whom he scored 20 goals in 39 games. He earned a contract with the first team just days before Barcelona began their preseason tour, signing a deal until 2029.
His early success reflects Barcelona’s strategy over the last few seasons, in which they have relied on young talents to bridge the gap between themselves and Real Madrid. Barcelona have spent the post-Lionel Messi era strapped for cash thanks to La Liga’s rules ensuring clubs do not spend beyond their means on transfers, while Real Madrid have managed their finances well enough to remain one of Europe’s splashiest clubs.
Real Madrid showed their financial might by finally landing Mbappe’s signature this summer and though Saturday’s loss left a bit to be desired on the pitch, it feels like a different story might play out when the two sides face each other in La Liga play this season, when Real Madrid are expected to have all their stars available to them.
Both teams wrap up their preseason tour of the U.S. on Tuesday when Barcelona play AC Milan at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium while Real Madrid take on Chelsea at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
