Barcelona secured the Joan Gamper Trophy after beating Egyptian champions Al Ahly 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou in an entertaining pre-season encounter.
The Spanish side established a two-goal advantage before Al Ahly fought back after the interval, but Barcelona managed to withstand sustained pressure from the African champions and claim victory.
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 29th minute through Hamza Abdelkarim, who struck against his former club.
The forward showed respect for Al Ahly after finding the net by choosing not to celebrate his goal.
The hosts then increased their advantage just before half-time when Raphinha successfully converted a penalty in the 44th minute.
The Brazilian placed the spot-kick towards the right side of Al Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Although Shobeir read the attempt and moved in the correct direction, he was unable to prevent the ball from crossing the line.
Barcelona therefore went into the interval with a 2-0 lead, leaving Al Ahly needing a strong response in the second half if they were to become the first Arab and African club to win the traditional pre-season contest.
The Egyptian champions responded positively after the restart and reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half.
Ahmed Sayed Zizo scored in the 51st minute, producing a controlled left-footed finish to make it 2-1.
The goal gave Al Ahly fresh belief and changed the momentum of the match. The visitors continued to search for an equaliser as the game moved towards its conclusion, while Barcelona concentrated on maintaining their narrow advantage.
Al Ahly’s attacking efforts created further tension in the closing stages as the Egyptian side attempted to force the match level.
There was another major moment in the 90th minute when Barcelona were awarded a penalty, presenting them with an opportunity to restore their two-goal cushion.
However, Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy kept his side in contention by making an impressive save from Anthony Gordon’s spot-kick.
The intervention was one of the final significant moments of the contest, but Al Ahly could not find another goal before the final whistle.
Barcelona held on for a 2-1 win and lifted the Joan Gamper Trophy, ending an entertaining match with the hosts maintaining their advantage despite Al Ahly’s second-half fightback.
The fixture was also notable because of Al Ahly’s place in the history of the tournament. The Egyptian club became the first Arab and African team to participate in Barcelona’s traditional pre-season competition.
For Al Ahly, the match offered an opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s leading clubs, while Barcelona ultimately had enough to secure the trophy.
The result was decided by Barcelona’s first-half goals, with Abdelkarim’s opener and Raphinha’s penalty establishing the platform for the victory.
Al Ahly’s response through Zizo ensured the match remained competitive, while El Shenawy’s late penalty save added further drama before Barcelona eventually saw out the contest.
The 2-1 result means Barcelona finish the occasion as Joan Gamper Trophy winners, while Al Ahly leave Camp Nou having made history as the first Arab and African club to feature in the tournament.
