Lewandowski’s Brace Not Enough as Barça Fall to Milan in Penalty Shootout

Lewandowski's Brace Not Enough as Barca Fall to Milan in Penalty Shootout

Barcelona made a heroic comeback from a two-goal hole in an exciting preseason matchup in Las Vegas but ultimately lost to AC Milan in a penalty shootout. As part of Barça’s tour of the United States, the game demonstrated the team’s resiliency as well as areas that needed work before the new campaign began.

Milan dominated the first half, taking advantage of Barça’s clumsy play and fragmented defense. Within the opening fifteen minutes, Pulisic and Jovic took advantage of defensive blunders to put the Italian powerhouses ahead 2-0.

But Barcelona, spearheaded by their brilliant striker Robert Lewandowski, would not concede. Lewandowski completed his brace and silenced those who doubted his form with a second goal after the break, capping the comeback with a perfect finish inside the box.

Barça came to life in the second half, with Oriol Romeu and other replacements providing much-needed midfield stability. Raphinha, who switched to midfield, came dangerously close to scoring, and Lewandowski kept posing a threat to the Milan goal.

Leao was a persistent threat on the flank for Milan, who continued to be threatening on the counterattack even with Barça’s better play. In the end, neither club was able to score the winning goal in extra time or regulation, forcing a penalty shootout.

But Barcelona’s luck ran out in the shootout. Milan won because of misses from Kounde, Quim Junyent, and Faye.

Even though the result is disappointing, Barcelona may learn some valuable lessons from it. Lewandowski’s comeback to form is a huge plus, and the club played some promising football in the second half. Manager Xavi Hernandez is still concerned about midfield inconsistency and defensive weaknesses.

Barça finishes their U.S. tour undefeated in regulation time, and now the attention turns to fixing these problems ahead of the competitive season. The Catalan giants have cause for optimism, with youth displaying promise and important players like Ilkay Gundogan still needing time to completely integrate.

The Milan encounter was a great teaching opportunity that exposed both our advantages and disadvantages. Barça will want to build on their successes and address their deficiencies as the new season draws near to provide a formidable fight for the trophy.

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