Debutants Star As Barcelona Ease To 3-1 Win Over Vissel Kobe In Pre-Season

Last Updated:July 27, 2025, 19:22 IST

FC Barcelona started their 2025/26 preseason with a 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe. Newcomers Bardghji and Dro scored, impressing alongside Garcia, Rashford, and Torrents.

Marcus Rashford at Barcelona (X)

FC Barcelona began their 2025/26 preseason with a 3-1 win against Vissel Kobe at Misaki Park Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday.

The match was notable for the debuts of five new players: Joan Garcia, Marcus Rashford, Roony Bardghji, Jofre Torrents and Pedro Fernandez ‘Dro’.

How Barcelona Beat Vissel Kobe?

Joan Garcia, the new goalkeeper from Catalonia, featured in the first half and impressed with several key saves. Although he conceded a goal to Miyashiro just before halftime, Garcia’s sharp reflexes kept Barcelona level for most of the opening period. He was unlucky on the goal, having parried the initial shot only for the rebound to be slotted home.

Barça took 34 minutes to open their preseason account in a scrappy manner. Ferran Torres delivered a corner, and after Gavi’s attempt was blocked, Eric García managed to get a toe on the ball, putting Barça ahead.

Fielding a near full-strength starting XI, Barça dominated the game from the start against the J-League leaders, with Raphinha coming close a few times. Vissel Kobe mainly relied on counter-attacks and unexpectedly equalised just before half-time. Debutant goalkeeper Joan García made a brilliant one-on-one save, but couldn’t stop Kobe’s follow-up, resulting in Miyashiro ensuring the teams went level at the break.

In the second half, Rashford, Bardghji, and La Masia product Jofre Torrents were introduced. Rashford and Jofre combined well on the left flank, displaying pace and creativity. It was Roony Bardghji who broke the deadlock in the 77th minute, curling a precise shot into the net after a well-constructed move involving Rashford and Lewandowski.

Just two minutes later, Rashford and Jofre were replaced by Gerard Martín and debutant Pedro Fernandez ‘Dro’. The young forward quickly made an impact, sealing the win with a well-struck volley from the edge of the box in the final minutes.

All five newcomers contributed positively in a game that gave fans a glimpse of Barcelona’s evolving squad. With promising performances, especially from Rashford, Bardghji, and Dro, the match set a confident tone for the remainder of Barcelona’s preseason campaign.

Barcelona will head over to South Korea, where the Catalan side face FC Seoul on Thursday.

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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Location :

Tokyo, Japan

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News sports » football Debutants Star As Barcelona Ease To 3-1 Win Over Vissel Kobe In Pre-Season