Barcelona and Manchester City played a thrilling friendly 3-3 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, in a match played to help raise awareness of and funds for research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Juan Carlos Unzue, a former assistant manager at Barcelona and a personal friend of Pep Guardiola, the former Catalan giants’ manager and current Manchester City manager, was given an ALS diagnosis in 2020. Unzue started the game in front of 91,062 spectators in an emotional moment at Camp Nou, and he even spoke to the Barcelona players in the locker room. Giants FC Barcelona and Manchester City took time from their competitive commitments to face each other in a Charity Match at the Camp Nou, supporting a cause close to home for both companies just weeks into the European Season. Barcelona and Manchester City gave their Charity Match an incredible gift, attracting some truly enthralling action.
For City, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer scored, while Riyad Mahrez converted a penalty late in the game to draw the friendly. Manchester City youth player Cole Palmer equalised, and after Memphis Depay, linked with a move back to Manchester United, scored a third for Barcelona, Riyad Mahrez grabbed a late equaliser. Riyad Mahrez’s late penalty ensured that 91,062 fans got their money’s worth at this high-profile charity fundraising event. Barcelona played well for much of the game and competed well with Manchester City, with the two sides sharing the spoils in front of a large number of fans who packed the stadium. Barcelona played well in many of its Charity matches. With both sides rested a number of their leading players, City took the lead early on through 22-year-old Argentine forward Julian Alvarez after Barcelona keeper Inaki Pena made an error.
Despite ongoing rumours over Bernardo Silva’s future, Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that the midfielder genuinely adores Barcelona. On Wednesday night, Bernardo participated in a charity friendly between Man City and Barcelona at the Camp Nou, which ended 3-3. After the game, Guardiola addressed his midfielder in a way that is unlikely to put an end to speculation over his future. Ferran Soriano, the CEO of Man City, has already discussed Bernardo and appeared to rule out a departure. “There are no negotiations or talks about Bernardo Silva,” he said on TV3. No Bernardo case exists. The Manchester City market is now officially closed. Xavi was there as well. The Barcelona coach expressed his admiration for Portugal during the friendly.
