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Inter Miami vs. Barcelona result: Barcelona dismantles David Beckham’s MLS club in pre-season rout

Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville said before the game that the friendly against Barcelona was “the biggest match in club history.”

That may have been the case, but it didn’t produce fond memories for the home side as Barcelona embarrassed the MLS club 6-0 in a pre-season friendly at DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. The Catalan club ran the show from the opening whistle to the final kick, creating wave after wave of pressure while Inter Miami did their best just to keep up. The hosts, meanwhile, had almost nothing going forward, with barely a sniff of the attacking third.

While Robert Lewandowski wasn’t quite ready to take part, the other three new signings starred for Barcelona in the first half. Raphinha picked up a goal and two assists to lead the way, while Franck Kessie pulled all the strings and Andreas Christensen blanketed former Real Madrid frontman Gonzalo Higuain.

In the second half, the Barcelona substitutes ran a second-string Inter Miami lineup ragged and capped off a three-goal display of their own.

Inter Miami brought both David Beckham’s son Romeo and Neville’s son Harvey off the bench for cameos, but it was only a slight respite on an otherwise comprehensive defeat.

MORE: Get the inside scoop on Chelsea pre-season opponents Charlotte FC

Inter Miami vs. Barcelona final score

  1H 2H Final
Inter Miami 0 0 0
Barcelona 3 3 6

Goals:
19th min — BAR — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
26th min — BAR — Raphinha
42nd min — BAR — Ansu Fati
55th min — BAR — Gavi
69th min — BAR — Memphis Depay
70th min — BAR — Ousmane Dembele

New boys Raphinha, Kessie star in Barcelona debut

It was almost fitting that a player with the glitz and flair of Raphinha made his first Barcelona appearance in a city of equal glamor. In the starting lineup after a move from Leeds United, the Brazilian ran the show in the first half, producing a cheeky goal while setting up two teammates for their moments.

It was a harbinger of what may be to come in his first season at the Catalan club, hoping to push Barcelona towards a bounce-back season.

Another new signing, Franck Kessie, was equally as impressive, pulling the strings for every single Barcelona attack in the first half. The former AC Milan midfielder was all over the pitch, troubling Inter Miami from all corners of the attacking third.

It seemed like every touch from the Ivorian — of which there were many — turned to gold. With Kessie leading the progression, plus the likes of Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the attack, this is an incredibly dangerous Barcelona team that should leave last season’s early struggles far in the rear-view mirror.

Inter Miami vs. Barcelona live commentary, highlights from friendly

FULL-TIME: Inter Miami 0-6 Barcelona

Barcelona plays keep-away for the final few minutes, and there’s no stoppage time in this one as the referee blows for full-time right away. It’s total domination from Barcelona as the Spanish side begins its USA preseason tour in glittering style. Inter Miami had no chance, and hardly garnered a touch of the ball in the attacking half. What a promising start for the La Liga giants.

85th min: Barcelona nearly had another stunner, thanks to a delicious chip over the defensive line that landed right in Gavi’s path along the end line, but his cutback to the penalty area was off the mark and the chance fizzles.

Romeo Beckham, David Beckham’s kid, will come into the game for the final few minutes of the match.

78th min: Hydration break No. 2 for this one, with Inter Miami trying desperately to build something positive. Phil Neville on the sideline is shown doing his best to organize his side, but it’s so far been futile.

75th min: Gavi is fouled at the top of the penalty area, and the referee points for a free-kick just inches outside the edge of the box. It looks like the young midfielder will take it himself, and he blasts it into the wall.

70th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Don’t blink or you might miss one! This time, Ousmane Dembele does it all by himself, charging down the right on the ball before cutting inside at the top of the box and making the entire Inter Miami back line look silly. This is getting ugly, and there’s still 20 minutes left. Barcelona won’t be easing up, as their players have a season to prepare for.

69th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Oh my, Memphis! With his back to goal and blanketed by Inter Miami defender Damion Lowe, Depay embarrassed his man with a simple turn, leaving Lowe in his dust and slotting home easily past a helpless goalkeeper. It’s not even a contest at this point.

66th min: Chance, Barcelona! Frenkie de Jong was in on goal, but never got a shot off before he was smothered by new Inter Miami goalkeeper Clement Diop.

61st min: An absolutely tragic pass by half-time substitute Ryan Sailor nearly gifts Barcelona a chance, but Ezzalzouli curls one just wide of the top-right corner. A microcosm of Inter Miami’s rough night. Yikes.

58th min: Chance, Barcelona! Memphis Depay has a glorious opportunity to put his stamp on the game, fed through the middle, but he gets the ball stuck at his feet before firing his shot into Row Z. It’s a bad miss, but once again Barcelona charges straight down Inter Miami’s throat.

55th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Off a corner, it’s a stunner for Barcelona’s fourth. A rocketed delivery into the mixer comes to the feet of Gavi who rips it into the back of the net. Rifled cross, rifled finish. Too easy for Barcelona, even with the substitutes on.

49th min: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, on for Barcelona for this second half, just had a head-scratcher. A counter-attack opened up for Ezzalzouli, but instead of shooting, he crossed to basically nobody. He had a good opportunity to find the back of the net but was too unselfish for the moment.

46th min: Second half is under way, with a number of changes for both sides, as expected.

For Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Memphis Depay are all on the field, replacing Aubameyang, Kessie, Fati, and Raphinha.

For Inter Miami, Higuain comes off after a very quiet first half against his old rivals. Gibbs, Yedlin, and Pozuelo are all off as well, among a few others. Harry Neville, Phil Neville’s son, is on for the hosts. No sign of David Beckham’s kid Romeo just yet.

HALF-TIME: Inter Miami 0-3 Barcelona

If we’re being honest, this game is no contest. Barcelona, even in preseason form, is eating Inter Miami for breakfast. It’s total domination, and that’s reflected on the scoreline. Raphinha, in his Barcelona debut, is the star with a goal and two assists, but the entire attack is sizzling. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ansu Fati, and Franck Kessie all have “wow” moments through the first 45 minutes. Inter Miami hardly have a dangerous kick in the entire match.

42nd min: GOAL, Barcelona! It’s a rout. Barcelona add a third via Ansu Fati, who finishes off a fabulous buildup with a glittering strike. Raphinha is the creative force again, flicking a wonderful ball in Fati’s path, and he whips it top shelf under pressure from a defender. What a goal!

40th min: Every time Gonzalo Higuain touches the ball, he’s blanked by Andreas Christensen. Barcelona have stuck their new defender on the former Real Madrid man, and he’s had no room to operate.

35th min: A hydration break gives Inter Miami a respite. It’s been tough sledding for the MLS side, with just 34 percent possession thus far.

32nd min: A rare Inter Miami counter-attack ends harmlessly as DeAndre Yedlin runs the length of the field but his delivery for Higuain is poor, threaded through way too strong, rolling to Ter Stegen without a contest.

26th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! This time coming down the left flank, Barcelona attacks again and it’s a poor showing from Inter Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman to let the visitors double the lead. A little flicked cross from Alex Balde on the left edge of the penalty area comes to Raphinha’s feet and he fires from a tight angle. Marsman got a hand to it, but still allows the ball to squeak across. From that tight of an angle, there’s no way a shot should find the inside of the far post.

Welcome to Barcelona, Raphinha! His first goal for the club.

19th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Aubameyang opens the scoring with a delightful chipped finish. The Inter Miami defense is all over the place, and it starts with a Pedri backheel to Raphinha who finds Aubameyang while falling down. The striker turns to face Marsman and clowns him with a fantastic chip.

16th min: Chance, Barcelona! Franck Kessie gets into the attack again, linking up with Aubameyang, but the attack is too vertical. Aubameyang gets a good look on goal, but it goes just wide.

11th min: Inter Miami has a move forward, but Gonzalo Higuain is all by himself and loses out to Andreas Christensen.

6th min: Chance, Barcelona! The visitors have come out firing, and come close again. A short corner results in a quick cross to Sergio Busquets at the near post, and he somehow flicks a header just wide. With his back to goal diving level with the ground, it’s a miracle he was even able to come close with that chance. Expertly done. Inter Miami on the ropes early.

3rd min: Chance, Barcelona! A Barcelona attack stamped by a glorious Aubameyang backheel ends in a shot from Franck Kessie from a very dangerous spot, but he fires it right at the Inter Miami keeper. He should score!

1st min: We’re under way from Miami! Barcelona looking to ramp up to the start of the season, and Inter Miami is in the way. Meanwhile, the MLS club hopes to give its fans a show and make a statement.

10 mins to kick: As kickoff nears, two former rivals, Sergio Busquets and Gonzalo Higuain, clearly have a friendly disposition towards each other and their past battles. As Adria asks below, will they play together someday?

33 mins to kick: Robert Lewandowski is not ready to play for Barcelona just yet, having just made his move to the club official yesterday, but he is in Miami and will be at the stadium for the game. He took the field for warmups with his teammates to get some cardio in before eventually seeing himself to a place in the stands.

58 mins to kick: The lineups are in, and it’s both clubs have produced strong sides.

For Barcelona, Andreas Christensen makes his debut for the club at center-back, in front of regular goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. New signing Franck Kessie starts in midfield, as does new winger Raphinha. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starts up front, with young winger Ansu Fati alongside in support.

Inter Miami starts old Barcelona foe Gonzalo Higuain up front, while U.S. international DeAndre Yedlin also appears in the XI. The sons of Inter Miami owner David Beckham and manager Phil Neville both make the bench.

63 mins to kick: It’s 86 degrees in Miami currently, with 64% humidity. Hot and muggy conditions for this one.

88 mins to kick: A familiar face in the American sports scene, Chad Johnson (formerly Chad Ochocinco) will be at the match tonight! He’s hoping to get some celebrity face time in.

110 mins to kick: Viewers during tonight’s match may notice that Barcelona head coach Xavi is not on the sidelines for the match in Miami. That is down to a visa issue which delayed his travel to the United States.

During Xavi’s time with Qatari club Al Saad, both as a player and manager, prior to rejoining Barcelona, he was occasionally required to travel to Iran. Because of this, extra paperwork was required to approve his travel to the United States. That has been resolved, according to Spanish publication Sport, and he will take a flight Wednesday morning and join the club in Miami the morning after the match.

120 mins to kick: No matter the result, Inter Miami players and fans will relish the chance to take on one of the world’s high-profile clubs. The fans have responded in kind, selling out the stadium for the first time in club history.

Inter Miami vs. Barcelona lineups

Ex-Napoli, Juventus and Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain will start up front for Inter Miami against a familiar foe. The former La Liga champion has been a late substitute for much of the MLS season, but he gets an opportunity against an old rival, with regular starter Leonardo Campano rested and not in the squad for this match.

While Brek Shea and Robbie Robinson are expected to miss out, other Inter Miami regulars are in play. It could have been a chance for U.S. international DeAndre Yedlin to get some rest, but he starts despite leading the club in league minutes this season. The same goes for playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo who has four goals and four assists on the MLS season thus far.

19-year-old Romeo Beckham, the son of owner David Beckham and playing for MLS Next club Inter Miami II, gets the call-up on the bench. So too does manager Phil Neville’s son Harvey Neville, 20, who is a teammate of Beckham’s at Inter Miami II.

Inter Miami starting lineup (4-3-3): Marsman (GK) — Gibbs, Mabika, Lowe, Yedlin — Pozuelo, Gregore, Ulloa — Duke, Higuain, Vassilev.

Inter Miami subs: McVey, Mota, Taylor, Quinteros, Neville, Rodriguez, Dos Santos, Allen, Jones, Beckham, Mendez, Sailor, Borgelin, Diop.

The Barcelona lineup is a strong one for this match, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ansu Fati in the attack. New signings Raphinha, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen all start, a boon for the fans looking to get an eye on the squad additions.

American full-back Sergino Dest starts the match in his home country. Barcelona could see the return of winger Ousmane Dembele, who rejoined the group last week after signing a new contract, although he starts on the bench.

Head coach Xavi will not be on the sidelines with the club due to a visa issue, missing this match. He will link up with the squad following the match and be on hand for the remainder of the U.S. trip.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen (GK) — Dest, Christensen, Garcia, Balde — Kessie, Nico Gonzalez, Pedri — Raphinha, Aubameyang, Fati. 

Barcelona subs: Pena (GK), Tenas (GK), Roberto, Alba, Araujo, Busquets, Casado, De Jong, Gavi, P. Torre, Dembele, Abde, Depay.

Inter Miami vs. Barcelona TV channel, live stream

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Wed, Jul. 20 Tues, July 19 Tues, July 19 Wed, July 20
Time 01:00 BST 20:00 ET 20:00 ET 10:00 AEST
TV channel  — TUDN  —  —
Streaming Barca TV+ fuboTV, Barca TV+ Barca TV+ Barca TV+

The club friendly from DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is set to be available to watch globally on Barcelona’s subscription service Barca TV+ in all territories.

In the United States, the match will be televised on TUDN, which is available to stream via fuboTV.

Inter Miami vs. Barcelona betting odds & lines

While Barcelona has a much-improved squad that would be expected to roll over MLS competition on any given day, the fact that it’s a pre-season club friendly must be taken into account.

It’s entirely unclear which Barcelona players will take the field and which players will be rested. Still others who do see the pitch could have their minutes managed, and the squad chemistry between first-team regulars and fringe players could be off.

Still, Inter Miami is not expected to win the match, and the odds reflect that. The club has had its stumbles in this MLS season, and in the middle of a laborious campaign, it’s likely that Inter Miami rests key players.

  Canada
(Sports Interaction)		 UK
(bet365)
Inter Miami Win +500 +800
Draw +541 +425
Barcelona Win -436 -400
Both teams
to score Y / N		 -159 / +101 -150 / +110
Over / Under
3.5 goals		 -117 / -109 -121 / -103
Barcelona -1.5 -156 -160
Inter Miami +1.5 +122 +120



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