Vissel Kobe 1-3 Barcelona: Bardghji Impresses With Goal On Debut While Rashford Makes First Appearance

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Roony Bardghji and Marcus Rashford made their first appearances for Barcelona in a 3-1 friendly win against Vissel Kobe. Bardghji celebrated his debut by scoring a goal. The match was part of Barcelona's pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea, which faced initial disruptions due to payment issues. These problems led to the cancellation of the first leg, but the situation was resolved, allowing the team to proceed with their plans.

Barcelona's journey to Japan was delayed as they missed their scheduled departure on Thursday. However, Hansi Flick's squad, minus captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, eventually travelled on Friday. Their opening match on this tour saw them face J1 League champions Vissel Kobe. The game proved challenging initially before Barcelona took control later on.

Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Pedri were among the notable players in Barcelona's starting lineup. They took the lead after 30 minutes when Eric Garcia scored from a goalmouth scramble. Vissel Kobe equalised just before halftime through Taisei Miyashiro, who capitalised on Rikuto Hirose's pass following Joan Garcia's save from Daiju Sasaki.

At halftime, Barcelona made wholesale changes to their lineup. New signings Bardghji and Rashford were introduced as part of these changes. Rashford played for 33 minutes before being substituted by 17-year-old Dro Fernandez shortly after Barcelona regained the lead at 2-1.

Bardghji, who joined from Copenhagen for €2 million earlier this month, found the bottom-left corner after receiving a pass from Robert Lewandowski. This move began with an incisive pass from Rashford. Later in the game, Fernandez scored his first goal for Barcelona by volleying home from the edge of the area following a hurried clearance by Daiya Maekawa.

Rashford's performance was noteworthy despite limited playing time as he builds fitness after being sidelined at Manchester United. He had four touches in Vissel Kobe's area, second only to Dani Olmo's five touches. Rashford also managed one shot on target and created a chance while regaining possession twice in the final third.

The match concluded with Barcelona securing a comfortable victory over Vissel Kobe. The team's performance showed promise as they continue their pre-season preparations in Asia.