Barcelona vs. Man City result: Teams play to exciting draw to conclude charity friendly at Camp Nou

Kyle Bonn

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Barcelona vs. Man City result: Teams play to exciting draw to conclude charity friendly at Camp Nou image

The European season began a few weeks ago, but giants FC Barcelona and Manchester City broke from their competitive endeavors as they faced off in a charity match at the Camp Nou that benefits a cause close to home for both organizations.

The clubs played to a 3-3 draw in front of 91,000 fans, with Barcelona want-aways Frenkie de Jong, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Memphis Depay all on the scoresheet for the hosts. Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer scored for Man City, and Riyad Mahrez finished off a penalty in stoppage time to level the score.

The teams got together at the Camp Nou to support Juan Carlos Unzue, a former teammate and assistant coach of Pep Guardiola's, in a match dubbed "A Great Game for a Greater Cause". Each manager has named a strong squad for the event, with the teams expected to feature top players in support of ALS research.

While the match is scheduled in the midst of the league season, it's still early enough in the campaign that it shouldn't cause too much trouble for either, as Champions League group stage games are not scheduled for a couple of weeks.

The 90 minutes were a success, with a massive audience to bring exposure to a cause important to many. The only blemishes on the game came at the end, as Man City youngster Luke Mbete-Tabu was stretchered off after a clash of heads. Then, moments later, Erling Haaland blatantly flopped to win the equalizing penalty which Mahrez blasted home.

The Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Barcelona vs. Man City final score

  1H 2H Final
Barcelona 1 2 3
Man City 1 2 3

Goals:
21st min — MCI — Julian Alvarez
29th min — BAR — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
66th min — BAR — Frenkie de Jong
70th min — MCI — Cole Palmer
79th min — BAR — Memphis Depay
98th min — MCI — Riyad Mahrez (pen)

Barcelona vs. Man City live updates, highlights, commentary

FULL-TIME: Barcelona 3-3 Man City

Guardiola and Xavi have a friendly embrace and a laugh at the full-time whistle that brings an enjoyable evening to a close.

It's a wonderful match that had plenty of action for a good cause. It ended with a whimper as thoughts are with the injured Mbete, and Erling Haaland flops to win a penalty. But the match on the whole was a success from every angle.

90+8 min: PENALTY, MAN CITY! Only just on the field, Erling Haaland wins a penalty for the visitors, as they look to level the score at the death! It's a hilariously bad decision to be completely honest, as Haaland runs across Christensen and then simply flops to the turf. A replay shows the slightest of touches to the back of his foot, but it doesn't appear to cause him much trouble before seemingly face-planting out of nowhere. Watching the replay a second time, you can actually see the moment that Haaland decides to go down. Unfortunate.

Riyad Mahrez steps up to take, and GOAL, MAN CITY! An absolutely thunderous penalty into the top-right corner.

90+6 min: We're finally back under way after over 10 minutes of stoppage. 11 minutes of injury time are given, with six of them already used up.

89th min: Concerning signs for Mbete after that clash of heads. He's sitting up and speaking with trainers, but then he lays back down. The cart comes out and there's been a significant delay, with Mbete eventually strapped into a backboard and taken off via the cart. As the board is loaded on the cart, players from both sides come by to send their wishes to the Man City youngster.

84th min: Goodness, it's been a rough night for Barcelona goalkeepers. Arnau Tenas, newly into the game, nearly with a gruesome error in possession, but he gets away with the bad heavy touch, touching himself back out of trouble as Kevin de Bruyne closed in.

Watch in the USA:

There's a stoppage as Andreas Christensen, newly on for Jules Kounde, smacks heads with Mbete-Tabu of City. Christensen is up, while Mbete needs a little more attention.

Attendance announced as over 91,000 fans. Incredible turnout for the charity match to benefit ALS research.

79th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Nothing Ortega could do about that smashed finish from Memphis Depay! A big switch of play comes to Sergi Roberto who lays off a perfect low cross to Depay on the penalty spot. The Dutchman is unmarked, and it's a blasted finish as he streaks in.

Barcelona make another few changes, with Arnau Tenas coming on in goal to replace Inaki Pena. Also, Sergino Dest comes on to replace Sergi Roberto, who interestingly hands the captain's armband to young Ansu Fati.

76th min: Chance, Barcelona! Memphis Depay looks to finish off a charge forward from Gavi, but Ortega is there to make the save for Man City. A good stop from the City backup.

74th min: First real moment of aggression in this match sees Palmer, who scored minutes ago, go flying in with a crunching tackle on Gavi. The referee shows leniency, but a free-kick is given in a dangerous position. Barcelona can't convert, as it's looped into the goalkeeper's bread basket.

70th min: GOAL, MAN CITY! Moments after Cancelo missed a glorious chance to equalize, he's involved in the move that does bring Man City level. Cancelo's cross from the right finds Cole Palmer for an easy finish on the doorstep, and it's too easy for the visitors.

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Erling Haaland about to be introduced, as he's shown with his bib off on the sideline, chatting with Guardiola. Alvarez the man to come off.

Barcelona make more changes, with de Jong and Busquets off in favor of Miralem Pjanic and Pablo Torre.

69th min: Chance, Man City! The game has yet again exploded! Man City are pushing for an equalizer, and Julian Alvarez has a vicious rip from distance that is hammered right at Inaki Pena. The Barcelona goalkeeper can only push it away, right into the path of Joao Cancelo, but his follow-up is blasted over the bar.

66th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Frenkie de Jong may be departing Barcelona this summer, but he's left one more mark on the Camp Nou. Kevin de Bruyne gifts the chance to Barcelona with a horrific square pass in his own penalty area which Gavi steals. Depay draws the goalkeeper out with his dribbling, and de Jong is there to finish off the chance with a drive that ripples the net. The hosts in front!

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64th min: A huge applause from the Camp Nou fans who want to see the biggest players. That's a result of Kevin de Bruyne entering the pitch, replacing Bernardo Silva who's been heavily linked to Barcelona this transfer window. Could he be back soon?

56th min: Kalvin Phillips is receiving treatment from the Man City training staff, holding his shoulder after an awkward 50/50 battle with a Barcelona player. It did appear the midfielder, who joined this summer from Leeds, was in a bit of pain, but seemed to have full range of motion. He then has a laugh with Guardiola, which is a good sign.

Meanwhile, Barcelona make a host of changes. Memphis Depay, Alex Blade, Gabi, and Eric Gacia come on, while Aubameyang, Alba, Kessie, and Gerard Pique are withdrawn. Aubameyang has a wave to the crowd, which could be a sign for his immediate club future.

Unzue is now shown in the Barcelona dugout, seated next to Xavi and conversing with his former midfielder. Reminds us what the players are playing for.

48th min: Chance, Man City! How has that not gone in?! Inaki Pena, who had a disastrous mistake in the first half to gift Man City a goal, makes up for it here with a fabulous double-save on Julian Alvarez. Somehow, the Barcelona goalkeeper keeps City out.

46th min: We anticipated halftime changes given this is a friendly, but it's fewer than we expected. Barcelona bring on Ansu Fati, who changed the game with his second-half substitution against Real Sociedad. The Camp Nou fans applaud Fati upon his introduction.

Just a trio of changes for Man City, as Joao Cancelo, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, and Luke Mbete-Tabu come on along the back line, replacing Rico Lewis, Kyle Walker, and Sergio Gomez. Otherwise, all the starters remain on the field. We'll try to keep up with what will surely be a deluge of substitutions through the second half.

HALFTIME: Barcelona 1-1 Man City

The final 10 minutes of the first half progress with little to savor, but each side has found the back of the net as we come to the break.

It's been a wonderful match to enjoy so far. The players are up for the game, there's very little needle or animosity, and the game has provided a wonderful platform to put a great cause in the forefront. The match broadcast has repeatedly given fans the opportunity to donate to ALS research.

35th min: Frenkie de Jong goes high up in the air and over the back of Bernardo Silva, landing hard on his back. The Dutchman gets up slowly but is back to his feet and appears to be ok after that tough fall. Silva gives him a hand, again showing there's absolutely no aggression between the sides who know what this match is all about.

31st min: The game has really opened up now, as Cole Palmer runs a counter-attack down the right flank, and eventually Bernardo Silva stings the palms of Inaki Pena with a low drive. The Barcelona goalkeeper is up to the task.

29th min: GOAL, BARCELONA! Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levels the score on what could be his final match for the club! A set-piece came in to the head of Sergio Busquets, and while that's wayward, it falls right to Aubameyang at a tight angle, and he delivers the equalizer with a finish inside the near post. That's not one Ortega will want to watch back, it seemed he had his near post covered, but he cheated to the far post and was fooled.

28th min: Some may be concerned with the risk to players during a mid-season friendly, but can see how little needle there is in this charity match. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slips while trying to control a ball under pressure, and when he's helped up after play is stopped, he's all smiles with Bernardo Silva.

27th min: Chance, Man City! The hosts almost gift City another! Jules Kounde, who could be rusty as he waits to be registered for La Liga play, passes the ball directly to Cole Palmer at the top of the penalty area. Palmer then twists Kounde out of his boots as the Barcelona defender looked to recover, but eventually the shot goes over the crossbar. What a chance, what a miss!

21st min: GOAL, MAN CITY! Oh no, a ghastly mistake by Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena! A deep ball lifted high over the top of the Barcelona defense is a routine collect for Pena, but the ball slips right through his hands. A charging Julian Alvarez is there to capitalize on the mistake to bundle the ball into the back of the net. It's the first shot on target, and the opening goal.

In a wonderful moment, Juan Carlos Unzue is then shown speaking with Pep Guardiola on the sideline, seated on the Man City bench next to the manager and his former Barcelona boss.

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20th min: Beautiful back-heel from Sergio Busquets to spring Frenkie de Jong on the break, and Julian Alvarez has no choice but to yank the Dutch midfielder back.

17th min: Barcelona are still pushing for the game's opening goal. Raphinha is whistled for offside. Man City finally with a decent spell of possession.

10th min: The game has slowed since the opening chance, but Barcelona have had all the early chances. Franck Kessie hits the outside of the post, then Ferran Torres comes close with a blocked effort.

3rd min: Chance, Barcelona! Straight away Man City are put under pressure at the Camp Nou, with Aubameyang meeting a cross on the doorstep attempting to head the hosts in front. The point-blank effort is saved by Ortega who couldn't handle the shot completely, but keeps it out while the defense then awkwardly clears.

1st min: We're under way at the Camp Nou! A match to raise awareness and funds for ALS research. Both teams in their season's third kit.

Pre-Match: Barcelona vs. Man City (kickoff at 9:30pm local CET)

3 mins to kick: The man for whom this match is being played got to speak with the Barcelona squad before kickoff.

Unzue is now speaking to the thousands of fans at the Camp Nou just prior to kickoff, as the starters are presented on the pitch. A lovely moment.

26 mins to kick: 85,000 tickets have reportedly been sold for this charity match. Great, global exposure for a good cause!

51 mins to kick: The Barcelona lineup is finally in, and it too is a mixed bag. New signing Jules Kounde, who is not yet registered for La Liga play, starts at center-back. Inaki Pena takes the spot between the sticks with Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the bench. The massive, 14-player bench for Barcelona, all first-team players, underpins the clear need for the club to offload dead weight at the end of the transfer window.

60 mins to kick: The Man City lineup comes through first. Pep promised first-team players would be involved, but the starting lineup is a little disappointing from that regard. Kyle Walker captains the side which features Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, and Phil Foden. Julian Alvarez leads the line with Erling Haaland on the bench alongside Kevin de Bruyne.

29-year-old goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, a summer signing from Armenia Bielefeld, is the starting goalkeeper, with Ederson on the bench. Youngsters Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis start for City, with youth team players Ben Knight, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Luke Mbete, and Oscar Bobb available off the bench.

86 mins to kick: Man City boss Pep Guardiola hinted that he could use this friendly to test new tactics, but more importantly, new players in the squad. "The benefits? We will be together for the new players, time to train, and recover in a different environment," Guardiola said.

That could mean time for new signing Sergio Gomez who was just signed last week from Anderlecht. The 21-year-old left-back could use the time to get up to speed as the Man City squad deals with a few defensive injuries.

110 mins to kick: While the match itself will benefit ALS research, Barcelona are also promoting another cause with their third kit, which will debut in this match. The Catalan club announced that its third kit features a design inspired by the Cross of Saint Jordi award, which is the 2nd highest civilian honor bestowed by the government of Catalonia, behind only the Gold Medal of the Generalitat.

"It showcases Barça's commitment to social causes, diversity and inclusion, core values that underpin its motto of being 'more than a club'," the club said in its official announcement.

The award was first bestowed 30 years ago, with FC Barcelona one of those first recipients, and the club is commemorating that anniversary with the third kit design. Lionel Messi was also a recipient of the award earlier in 2022, becoming the second footballer to earn the award after Johann Cruyff.

120 mins to kick: The focus of the match today is Juan Carlos Unzue, who was diagnosed with ALS in February of 2020. Match proceeds from Camp Nou will benefit ALS research.

Barcelona vs. Man City lineups & team news

Barcelona struggled to match up against a feisty Real Sociedad side through the first half last weekend, but Ansu Fati's introduction early in the second period changed the game and led the Blaugrana to a 4-1 win.

Robert Lewandowski scored his first two Barcelona goals in that bounce-back win, including his first 44 seconds into the game. Xavi has a wealth of attacking options to support the Polish striker, and it'll be a roll of the dice each game to figure out which trio he'll go with on the day. 

There are no injuries currently for the Barca boss to work around, although the status of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is up in the air given the possibility of his departure to Chelsea. The Gabonese striker does find the starting lineup, with Lewandowski on the bench.

Despite not yet being registered for La Liga play, defender Jules Kounde features at the back, and Sergio Busquets returns from suspension in Barcelona's last league match against La Real. Alongside Busquets is Frenkie de Jong whose transfer saga continues to press on.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Pena (GK) — Alba, Pique, Kounde, Roberto — Kessie, Busquets, de Jong — Torres, Aubameyang, Raphinha.

Barcelona subs (14): Ter Stegen (GK), Tenas (GK), Dest, Araujo, Christensen, Garcia, Balde, Pjanic, Pedri, Gavi, Torre, Depay, Lewandowski, Dembele.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola assured fans that the club would deploy a strong starting lineup, telling reporters upon the announcement of the match, "We're going to bring all the big guns, don't worry." That was true in part, but not fully accurate.

There are a few injuries for the Premier League side to contend with. Most notably, Nathan Ake picked up an early groin problem against Newcastle on Sunday and did not travel with the squad to Barcelona. The Dutchman was replaced by Ruben Dias on Tyneside.

Aymeric Laporte is reportedly close to returning following knee surgery but is not yet available. Jack Grealish missed the Newcastle game with a knock, and while he traveled to Spain for the match, his status is unclear.

Man City starting lineup (4-3-3): Ortega (GK) — Lewis, Walker, Dias, Gomez — Phillips, Silva, Palmer — Mahrez, Alvarez, Foden.

Man City subs (12): Ederson (GK), Carson (GK), Wilson-Esbrand, Stones, Cancelo, Mbete, Gundogan, Rodri, Bobb, De Bruyne, Knight, Haaland.

MORE: Newcastle vs. Man City result, highlights & analysis as Haaland and Silva salvage draw in St James' thriller

How to watch Barcelona vs. Man City

  Date Time TV Channel Streaming
Australia Thu, Aug 25 05:30 AET  — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
Canada Wed, Aug 24 15:30 ET  — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
Hong Kong Thu, Aug 25 03:30 HKT — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
India Thu, Aug 24 01:00 IST — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
Malaysia Thu, Aug 25 03:30 MYT — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
New Zealand Thu, Aug 25 07:30 NZST — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
Singapore Thu, Aug 25 03:30 SST — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
UK Wed, Aug 24 20:30 BST — BarcaTV+, City+, Man City Recast
USA Wed, Aug 24 15:30 ET  CBS Sports Network fuboTV

USA: Champions League broadcaster CBS Sports Network will be carrying the match in the USA with that channel available to stream on fuboTV.

International: The club friendly will be broadcast around the globe via both clubs' premium streaming services.

Barcelona will make the match available via BarcaTV+, while Man City is making the match accessible on both of the club's streaming services City+ and Man City Recast.

City+ is a season-long subscription service to access all Man City content, similar to BarcaTV+, while Recast is a more cost-friendly pay-per-view subscription service offered by the Premier League side.

Why are Barcelona and Manchester City playing a charity match?

The match has been set up to support ALS research on behalf of former Pep Guardiola assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzue, who was diagnosed with the disease in early 2020.

Unzue, a former goalkeeper who briefly played for Barcelona (1988-1990), was an assistant coach at Barcelona from 2003-2010 and again from 2014-2017. He overlapped with Guardiola at the club from 2007-2010 before being hired to manage Numancia.

Unzue then took charge of Racing Santander before joining Celta Vigo as an assistant and then returning to Barcelona under Luis Enrique. The 55-year-old also took charge of Celta Vigo and Girona before his health forced him to retire.

All ticket sales and in-stadium match proceeds will go towards ALS research, with the game benefitting the Luzon Foundation.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.