Barcelona’s Pau Victor scores a brace to beat Real Madrid in the pre-season friendly for El Clasico at the MetLife Stadium

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Pau Victor was the surprise star of Barcelona’s 2-1 win over rivals Real Madrid at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday, as the former member of the club’s reserve team scored a goal in a preseason edition of El Clasico.

Real Madrid got off to a fast start, scoring five shots within the first 40 minutes, but without stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, both of whom are still on holiday after making deep runs with their respective national teams at the European Championship, an inability to end became clear. They maintained control in possession, but their inefficiency in attack provided a perfect opening for a more clinical Barcelona.

Victor scored his first in the 42nd minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area. Robert Lewandowski received a cross while standing right in front of the goal, but his imperfect touch prevented him from making a decent shot, causing the ball to bounce to the right. Victor reacted quickly as the ball soared through the air, pushing his head in the right direction for a close-range finish.

The 22-year-old scored again in the 54th minute after another shot from close range. Alex Valle made a run down the right flank and played a short cross right in front of the goal where Victor was running. He slid towards goal as he made contact with his foot, sending the ball into the back of the net.

The two teams continued to score shots as the match progressed, with Real Madrid closing the gap thanks to Nico Paz’s goal in the 82nd minute. Paz scored from close range after an impressive individual effort.

Although the teams played a fairly even possession game and almost matched each other in shots, their finishing ability made the difference. Barcelona put six of 11 shots on target, while Real Madrid had the same number of shots but only three on frame.

The match was interrupted in the 16th minute by a lightning-related weather delay, halting the match for an hour and 12 minutes. The teams resumed play on a rain-soaked pitch but went uninterrupted after the stoppage, forcing them to shorten the break to a five-minute period.

Victor’s support comes just days after he scored in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City in pre-season, which emerged as an unexpected highlight of the club’s US tour. The 22-year-old is a product of Girona’s youth academy but was loaned out to Barcelona’s reserve team last season, for whom he scored 20 goals in 39 appearances. He earned a first-team contract just days before Barcelona started their preseason tour, signing a contract until 2029.

His early success reflects Barcelona’s strategy in recent seasons, in which they have relied on young talents to bridge the gap between themselves and Real Madrid. Barcelona have spent the post-Lionel Messi era strapped for cash thanks to La Liga rules that ensure clubs don’t spend beyond their means on transfers, while Real Madrid have managed their finances well enough to become one of the most exciting clubs in to remain in Europe.

Real Madrid showed their financial might by finally securing Mbappe’s signature this summer and while Saturday’s loss left something to be desired on the pitch, it feels like a different story could happen when the two sides face each other this season ​​in La Liga. when Real Madrid are expected to have all their stars at their disposal.

Both teams conclude their US tour on Tuesday when Barcelona plays AC Milan at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, while Real Madrid takes on Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.