Moral Victory
(0-4)


Barça stamped their authority on tonight’s friendly in Cairo against African champions Al-Ahly, winning 4-0 and presenting an excellent image of themselves.
There was an incredible atmosphere in the Egyptian capital to welcome the Spanish and European champions on occasion of the local club’s centenary celebrations. Playing in front of a capacity crowd, it was Al-Ahly who set the early pace, but Barça were able contain that early pressure in relative comfort.

Playing with an unfamiliar starting line-up, it naturally took some time for Barça to gel. Frank Rijkaard blooded reserve team player Olmo in the centre of defence, while Gudjohnsen and Ezquerro were given the chance to start up front, and young Bojan played out on the left. Barcelona’s first warning shot was fired in the 12th minute when Rafa Márquez broke free into the Egyptian area, but his shot was efficiently dealt with by the local keeper.

Saviola opens the account

Little by little, Rijkaard’s side found their rhythm, and from there on there it was only going to matter of time before the first goal came. After 17 minutes, Iniesta delivered a corner from the left, which Márquez flicked on from the near post for Saviola to nod home in trademark fashion. In a similar move just a few minutes later, the Argentinian had the chance to add a second, but this time his effort was sent narrowly over the bar.

Goalscoring debut for Bojan

The Egyptians were under constant pressure, and it was Saviola who was causing all the danger. Driving into the Al-Ahly area, he was able to slip a delightful pass through to Bojan to finish in impeccable style. And so it was that, at the tender age of 16, Bojan was able to celebrate his first ever goal playing for the first team. Al-Ahly were powerless to react, and it was not until the 35th minute, when Valdés intervened stylishly in a one-on-one with Moteab, that there was any sign of reaction from the home side.

Eleven changes

After the break, FC Barcelona came out with a completely different eleven, with Rijkaard bringing on Messi, Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Thuram, Giovanni, Deco, Gio, Puyol, Oleguer and Jorquera. But Barça continued to clearly dominate the proceedings in every department, with Samuel Eto'o scoring the third goal of the night in the 77th minute. The Cameroonian rounded off a fine performance to make it 4-0 with a goal just seconds before the final whistle.

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