Robert Lewandowski, “hungry for goals”, hopes to make FC Barcelona debut in Las Vegas
Robert Lewandowski did not make his FC Barcelona debut on Tuesday night, but the sold-out pro-Barca crowd at DRV PNK Stadium had plenty to cheer about anyway, as six different players scored in a 6-0 win over host Inter Miami.
Brazilian winger Raphinha, who signed from Premier League Leeds United for $60 million, marked his first Barca outing with a goal and two assists as the Spanish giants kicked off their four-match U.S. summer exhibition tour.
“I was very happy to score my first goal and to play well and I hope that continues,” Raphinha said. “This is a system which favors me, and I think I can really help the team moving forward.”
Barcelona’s flashy passing sequences, speed and clinical finishes were on display all night, much to the delight of the crowd of 19,113, which included Miami Heat forward Victor Oladipo, TikTok influencer Noah Beck and tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ansu Fati, Gavi (who is 17 years old), Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele scored the other five goals. The crowd roared with each one, especially after Depay got the ball with his back to the goal, did a half-turn that fooled Miami defender Damion Lowe, and then scored with authority.
Barcelona outshot Miami 23-1 with eight shots on target to zero for the host. Barca dominated possession 66 percent to 34 percent and completed 658 passes to 338 with a 90 percent accuracy rate.
Inter Miami coach Phil Neville called the game “a brilliant learning experience” and tried to put it in perspective.
“It’s not enjoyable to lose games or concede goals, but we have to see the reality of what was on that pitch,” Neville said. “You look at their front six, it is probably going to be the best in the world — Lewandowski, Raphinha, Fati, Aubameyang. ... It was a big challenge for us, playing against world-class players. It was a brilliant occasion. You could feel the buzz in the air. We’ve now experienced what a sold-out DRV PNK feels like. We have a lot of young guys who take away valuable experiences about the level you need to be at to play at the top, top level.”
Inter Miami right back DeAndre Yedlin, who has played in top European leagues, said his team’s weaknesses were exposed by Barca, adding that such a rout can be beneficial going forward.
“One thing I learned when I was growing up, and earlier in my career is you have to get exposed sometimes to grow,” Yedlin said. “I think we did get exposed tonight. You can see certain trends within MLS games that we have problems with that got exposed even more tonight because we’re playing against a top team. So, now we know exactly what we have to fix. At the end of the day we take the experience and grow from it.”
All the Miami players got minutes, including Neville’s son Harvey and team co-owner David Beckham’s son Romeo, who play for Miami’s reserve team. Forward Leo Campana missed the game with a knee injury and goalkeeper Drake Callender was rested.
Barcelona’s starters were Ter Stegen, Dest, Pedri, Ansu Fati, Nico, Christensen, Aubameyang, Kessie, Raphinha, Eric and Balde. Lewandowski warmed up but was not on the game roster. Barca subbed out all 11 starters at halftime, and there was no drop-off.
“It was like two world-class teams, one each half,” said Neville.
“Their movements are hard to track, they can mix it up and they are world-class players and when you have so many on the pitch at one time, they make it very difficult for you,” Yedlin said. “That’s why they are one of the best teams in the world.”
Barca’s next game is July 23 against rival Real Madrid in Las Vegas, then matches against Juventus in Dallas and New York Red Bulls in Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Miami returns to MLS action Saturday on the road at New York City FC.
Lewandowski, who joined Barca last week from Bayern Munich in a $50 million transfer, is expected to make his debut in Las Vegas. He was formally introduced by the club at an event in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday morning.
“In football it’s important to have the will to win, and I think I’m in the best place to do that,” Lewandowski said. “I’m hungry for goals. We have a lot of work to do, but there is a lot of quality in the squad and a lot of potential. I’m at a good club.
“I have done the last few training sessions with my teammates, and I am ready to play in the next game [against Real Madrid]. I hope I can score a lot of goals, that’s my challenge.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 3:06 PM.