Tottenham bring their pre-season to an end as they take on Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy this evening. The new campaign is just a few days away, with Spurs facing Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday, and this clash at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium is the final opportunity to impress before the serious business begins.
Ange Postecoglou’s side cruised to a 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, with a strong lineup named in north London. There is plenty of rotation tonight as a result, as Richarlison gets his chance to lead the line and Manor Solomon also starts. Harry Kane continues to be linked with a move to Bayern Munich and has stayed in London.
Barcelona have not lost their traditional curtain-raiser since 2012 and the LaLiga holders are full of confidence as it stands, having cruised to victory over Real Madrid earlier in the summer. Follow Barcelona vs Tottenham with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!
Live updates
39 mins: Almost silence inside the Olympic Stadium now, fans a bit stunned at what they’ve seen in the last 15 minutes or so.
Lo Celso whips a decent ball into the box, it’s shanked away for a corner. Tottenham well on top.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-2 Tottenham | Oliver Skipp 36′
Skipp at the double!
Perisic on the left, clips a cross into the box and it’s Skipp who times his run perfectly to arrive in the box and power a header past Ter Stegen. Brilliant finish.
35 mins: Not much friendly about this match so far. Both sets of players flying into the challenge, Bissouma the latest to be caught as Lewandowski crashes into him.
The Barcelona striker avoids a booking, clumsy more than anything.
33 mins: Barcelona forced into a change, Araujo off and Roberto on in his place at right-back.
His first job is to jog into his own box and help defend a free-kick, which Spurs have in a good position out wide.
Whipped in, huge appeals for handball after the ball bounces onto Balde’s arm. Referee not interested. Solomon pounces on the loose ball and drags the shot wide.
30 mins: Good pace from Sanchez, who looks to have lost Araujo but just about keeps up with him and slides in to halt the Barcelona defender’s progress. Araujo not moving too well after that.
Spurs right in this match now, after looking comfortably second best in the opening ten minutes.
28 mins: Vicario charges off his line to head away a ball over the top.
Falls for Raphinha though, who looks to float a lobbed effort over the Spurs goalkeeper but he jumps up at full stretch to save.
At the other end, Perisic drives into the box and wins a corner for Tottenham.
26 mins: First yellow card of the match, as Bissouma clatters into Romeu. Good effort to get booked after 26 minutes of a friendly.
He’s protesting to the referee, but the official is pointing around the pitch to suggest that was far from Bissouma’s first foul. Fair point.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Tottenham | Oliver Skipp 24′
Spurs are level!
Great move and they are rewarded. Reguilon played in down the left, cuts the ball to Lo Celso and his shot bounces back off the post.
Skipp is there and he finishes the rebound well.
20 mins: Superb challenge from Bissouma!
De Jong leads the Barcelona break and he has space to drive into. Lewandowski to his left, Raphinha on the right, but the Dutchman takes too long to play the pass and Bissouma flies back to slide in and win the ball on the edge of the area.
19 mins: Balde a real threat with his pace down the left, Spurs not dealing with that particularly well.
Ball comes inside to Lewandowski, 25 yards out and he’s not closed down. Hammers an effort at goal, Vicario just about gets enough behind it to parry it away.
