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The Barcelona of Xavi Hernández was superior to Olot from Tercera RFEF and deserved to win, this Wednesday in the first preseason friendly, but failed to translate their superiority into goals and ended up with a frustrating and insufficient draw (1-1).
Barcelona, with only five first-team players in the starting eleven, dominated possession indisputably from the first minute, seeking to widen the field with two very open wingers. In the first half it was Ilias Akhomach and Ez Abde, very dynamic, eager to please and to face.
The first chance was not long in coming: in the 9th minute, Pablo Torre showed his quality by dribbling past a rival before assisting Aubameyang. The local goalkeeper repelled the attacker's hard shot. His second shot, in the 20th minute, was deflected by the crossbar, from a pass by Franck Kessié. Kessié and Torre, debutants, played as interior midfielders in front of Nico González, the holding midfielder.
The third chance for Aubameyang was successful: in the 28th minute, Marc-André ter Stegen made a long clearance and the striker, without controlling the ball and with his first touch, beat the Olot goalkeeper from outside the area, with his right foot.
The match seemed to be almost resolved, but Olot woke up just before halftime. They came close to equalizing with a header from Carles Mas that hit the post. And they got the 1-1 in the 45th minute. Mika Mármol committed a penalty and veteran Eloi Amagat scored with a shot close to the right post of Ter Stegen: the German goalkeeper got a touch on the ball, but couldn't prevent the goal.
Xavi made nine changes in the lineup at halftime. He brought in Pedri, Ansu Fati, Miralem Pjanic, Álex Collado, and Iñaki Peña as the most recognizable names, and Barcelona continued to dictate the rhythm of the game. In the 62nd minute, Álex Valle, first a full-back and then a winger, hit the post. Antonio Aranda and Pedri, making his debut with the number '8', also looked for the goal. But Barcelona hit the goalkeeper Albert Batalla time after time. And they couldn't get past the gray draw. And in the end, they even had to be grateful for the draw, because the local player Èric Vilanova hit the post with a volley in the 89th minute.
Information from EFE
Barcelona vs. Olot: schedules
- Peru: 12 p.m.
- Ecuador: 12 p.m.
- Colombia: 12 p.m.
- Mexico: 12 p.m.
- Argentina: 2 p.m.
- Uruguay: 2 p.m.
- Chile: 1 p.m.
- Spain: 9 p.m.
On the other hand, Olot has just been promoted to Segunda RFEF, which is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. In the preview, captain Albert Blázquez referred to the match against Barcelona and expects the support of their fans.
"It's a celebration for the club and for our fans. We are highly motivated to see the stadium full. The new team is humble and hardworking (recent signings). There's a good group," he said to the club's Twitter account.
Barcelona vs. Olot: channels
It is important to mention that Barcelona announced that the friendly match will be exclusively broadcast on the Barça TV platform.
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