“Hansi Flick Wins in Barcelona Debut with Victory Over Manchester City”

New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick kicked off his tenure with a win as Barcelona defeated Manchester City on penalties after a 2-2 draw in their pre-season friendly in Orlando. The match, which followed an 80-minute delay due to a storm, saw Toni Fernandez, a recent 16-year-old signing, secure a 4-1 penalty shootout victory for Barcelona with a decisive left-footed shot past City’s reserve goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega.

In front of a sellout crowd of 63,237, both teams showcased strong performances, with Barcelona taking an early lead in the shootout. Alejandro Balde’s left-footed penalty gave Barcelona a 3-0 lead. Manchester City’s Amar Ahmed scored to keep his side in the game, but Fernandez’s successful penalty clinched the win.

Barcelona’s Pau Victor opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a right-footed shot after a quick pass from Marc Casado. Manchester City’s Nico O’Riley equalized in the 39th minute with a left-footed strike from a Josko Gvardiol assist. Barcelona regained the lead with a goal from Pablo Torre in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, finishing a pass from Gerard Martin with a powerful right-footed shot past Ederson.

Jack Grealish brought City level again in the 60th minute with a goal following a fast break orchestrated by Mateo Kovacic.

Barcelona’s US tour continues with upcoming pre-season matches against Real Madrid and AC Milan. Manchester City, who had previously lost to Celtic and AC Milan on their tour, will conclude their US trip with a match against Chelsea in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.