FC Seoul 3–7 Barcelona: Player Ratings From Barca's Preseason Goal Fest

Lamine Yamal scord his first two goals wearing Barcelona’s No.10 shirt. | IMAGO/Penta Press

Barcelona dominated FC Seoul and dismantled the South Korean outfit 7–3 in their second preseason game, showcasing the depth and quality of their attack but also their defensive fragility.

Hansi Flick’s side struck before the 10-minute mark. Dani Olmo recovered the ball near the final third and drove towards a very unorganized back line. Olmo teed up Lamine Yamal who fired a shot that hit the post, but the rebound fell perfectly into Robert Lewandowski’s path and the veteran striker simply tapped in Barcelona’s opener.

Barcelona’s early onslaught continued in the 15th minute. Yamal cut inside from the right wing and looked to play a through ball into the path of Olmo. The pass was blocked but the rebound fell at his feet and he unleashed a powerful low shot from distance that Kang Hyeon-mu couldn’t keep from tucking into the near post. The teenager opened his account with Barça’s No.10 shirt.

The hosts pulled one back after Yamal was dispossessed near Barcelona’s box. Kim Jin-su sent in a violent low cross that Cho Young-wook buried emphatically from close range to bring FC Seoul back into the match. Cho appeared to be offside, but with no VAR available in the friendly contest, the goal stood.

Barcelona couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to restore their two-goal lead and FC Seoul tied the game right before the break. Anderson Oliveira played Yazan Abu Al-Arab through on goal and the center back didn’t waste his chance to pull the hosts level, taking advantage of Barça’s high-line. A minute later, the visitors responded and Yamal secured his brace to put Barça ahead again with the final kick before halftime.

Flick rotated the entirety of his lineup for the second half. The Catalans dominated early and Andreas Christensen added a fourth when he fired an absolute rocket from the parking lot that found the back of the net 10 minutes into the second half.

Ferran Torres was next to join the party. La Masia youngster Jofre Torrents played a superb cross into Torres’s path and the super-sub calmly got a way from his man and buried Barcelona’s fifth into the near post. Only two minutes later, Gavi added a sixth with a beautiful control on the turn and a precise weak-foot finish.

FC Seoul scored a third five minutes from stoppage time, exploiting the space left behind Barcelona’s high defensive line. Still, Marcus Rashford would bag his first assist as a Blaugrana, setting up Torres who completed his brace to make it 7–3.

Despite the stellar offensive display, Barcelona have plenty of work to do to fix-up a leaky defense. Flick’s back line was the team’s Achilles heel a season ago and the lingering issues must be corrected come the start of the term. Still, the most prolific attack in Europe a season ago looks in midseason form already.

Player ratings from the game below.