SANTA CLARA, California — FC Barcelona dominated AC Milan throughout Saturday’s match at Levi’s Stadium, but a 93rd minute goal by André Silva allowed the Italians to send Barça home from the United States with a 1–0 loss in front of 51,391 fans on a beautiful afternoon in Northern California.
The defeat is Barça’s second in a row in the International Champions Cup following Tuesday’s loss to AS Roma at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Barça thus finishes the preseason with a win and two defeats. Barça opened the US Tour by beating Tottenham on penalty kicks at the Rose Bowl on July 29.
The team is set to fly back home to Barcelona on Saturday night and is expected to land in the Catalan capital late on Sunday evening, local time.
Saturday’s match in the San Francisco Bay Area was Barça’s fourth stop on the summer tour, following sojourns in Portland, Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Manager Ernesto Valverde opted to start the team’s first three summer signings for the second match in a row, while also inserting Paco Alcácer into the starting eleven, allowing the striker to make his pre-season debut. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who missed the team’s first two stops before joining the team in Dallas on Sunday night, also made his pre-season debut, coming on in relief of Jasper Cillessen at the start of the second half.
Despite the loss, Barça dominated the game in almost every statistical category, but could not break through on the scoreboard.
In the first half, two of the new signings — Arthur Melo and Malcom Silva — had great chances but could not convert. Arthur had a blast saved in the 36th, and Malcom hit the woodwork in the 42nd.
Milan didn’t have a single shot on goal in the first half, while Barça managed to get four.
Riqui Puig had Barça’s best chance of the game in the 90th minute, and could have handed Barça the win, but his close-range attempt on a cross from Nélson Semedo went just wide at the far post.
Nevertheless, with the game’s waning moments ticking away and a penalty shootout looking to be an afterthought, André Silva beat Ter Stegen from close range and, seconds later, the final whistle pierced the cloudless, California sky.
