The Frenchman scores two goals that were not enough to defeat a team from Turin in Dallas without the injured Pogba
BARCELONA, July 27. (EUROPEAN PRESS) –
The French striker Ousmane Dembélé, author of two goals, was the best player for FC Barcelona in the draw (2-2) against Juventus in the third game of the Barça team’s US tour, played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, against to an Italian team without the injured Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman scored his two goals in the first half of the match, which were not enough to defeat the Italians, who have drawn twice through Moise Kean, before facing the last friendly of Xavi Hernández’s side in New York on the American tour preseason.
Xavi rested central defender Araujo and midfielder Pedri and lined up Robert Lewandowski and Aubameyang for the first time together in a Barça team that exerted its usual high-block pressure against a Juventus team in which only the Argentine Ángel di María created danger.
In stifling heat, with 38 degrees and 30 percent humidity, Barça scored two very similar goals with paths taken from the right by Dembélé, who beat Szczesny with two powerful cross shots. Earlier he had equalized Ousmane’s opening goal through Moise Kean after an assist from Cuadrado.
With 2-1, at the break for FC Barcelona Iñaki Peña, Ansu Fati, Pjanic, De Jong, Raphinha and Gavi were Xavi’s changes at the start of the second half, now without Dembélé. Moise Kean equalized in the first opportunity and the scoreboard would no longer change despite a double chance by Raphinha and Ansu Fati that ended in the woodwork.
The Blaugrana’s next match will be next Sunday (1:00 a.m., peninsular time) against the New York Red Bulls at the Red Bulla Arena in New York before returning to Spain, where on August 7 they will face the Mexican Pumas at the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Spotify Camp Nou.