Barcelona suffered a penalty shootout defeat to English side Birmingham after a 2-2 draw in a friendly match. The standout performer was 18-year-old Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who netted twice for the maroon and blue team.
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona fielded a mixed lineup featuring a significant number of young players. Birmingham took an early lead through Prisky, but before halftime, Abdelkarim earned and converted a penalty to level the score.
In the second half, the Egyptian striker put Barcelona ahead again by capitalizing on a rebound following a shot from Roni Bardhi. New signing Karim Adeyemi had a subdued debut, clearly lacking match fitness. Towards the end, Barcelona lost their advantage due to substitutions, and Birmingham proved more accurate in the penalty shootout.
Related Stories
