Barcelona’s 11-year dominance in the Joan Gamper Trophy came to an abrupt end on Monday night as Monaco handed Hansi Flick’s side a stunning 3-0 defeat at Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.
This result marked the end of FC Barcelona’s remarkable streak of twelve consecutive victories in the prestigious preseason tournament.
The night, which began with high hopes and an atmosphere of celebration at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, ended on a more subdued note as the visiting side capitalized on their opportunities, securing a historic win in their first-ever appearance in the competition.
Despite the absence of several key players, Barcelona’s lineup still featured stars like Robert Lewandowski, who started the match, while Lamine Yamal, Ilkay Gündogan, and Ferran Torres made appearances as substitutes.
Flick, managing his first home game since taking charge, fielded a starting XI with Ter Stegen as the new captain between the posts.
The defense was composed of Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Iñigo Martínez, and Alejandro Balde, while Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, and Pablo Torre anchored the midfield. Upfront, Raphinha, new signing Pau Víctor, and Lewandowski led the attack.
The first half, played on a sweltering evening in Barcelona, saw a few missed opportunities for the hosts.
Pau Víctor squandered a promising chance just seconds after kickoff, Lewandowski came close to breaking the deadlock, and Raphinha found the back of the net, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Despite these chances, the game remained goalless at halftime.
Monaco, last season’s runners-up in the French Ligue 1, took a more serious approach to the contest, controlling much of the possession in the first half without creating many clear-cut opportunities. However, the tide turned after the break.
Lamine Camara capitalized on an error by Iñigo Martínez, intercepting a loose pass to open the scoring in the 50th minute.
Just seven minutes later, Breel Embolo doubled Monaco’s lead, expertly timing his run to lift a delicate finish over Ter Stegen.
The final blow came in the dying moments of the match. Following a series of substitutions by Barcelona, Monaco’s Christian Mawissa pounced on a loose ball on the right edge of the area and curled a precise shot into the bottom-left corner, sealing a memorable 3-0 victory for the visitors.
Barcelona had not tasted defeat in the Joan Gamper Trophy since a 2012 loss to Sampdoria.
Over the past eleven years, they had recorded emphatic victories, including an 8-0 thrashing of Santos and wins against European heavyweights like Juventus, Arsenal, and Tottenham.
However, this was the first time since 1981, when they were beaten 4-0 by Köln, that Barcelona suffered a loss by three or more goals without scoring in this tournament.
Although Barcelona were missing several of their usual starters, the result leaves Flick with much to ponder ahead of his La Liga debut as Barcelona manager against Valencia on Saturday.
