The Barcelona Legends secured a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid Legends, credited to the goals from Saviola and an own goal by Fernando Sanz. Notably, Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta was added to the squad for this occasion, receiving a heartfelt tribute at the end of the match in honour of his recent retirement from professional football.
The Blaugranes established their rhythm early, with Albert Ferrer's side effectively pressing the all-whites at the back, which led to the first scoring opportunities. The inclusion of Xavi and Iniesta in the Barça Legends lineup brought valuable experience to the midfield, while Rivaldo flaunted his skills and creativity on the field.
Xavi's beautiful 'backheel' paas created the first goal
In the 31st minute, the Blaugranes broke the deadlock. Mendieta seized possession and Xavi Hernández delivered a brilliant pass that set Giuly free inside the area. Giuly then set up a simple chance for Saviola, who calmly finished past Casillas, putting the score at 1-0 at the Ajinomoto Stadium in front of a crowd of 45,725.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid legends remained passive, though they managed a couple of dangerous counterattacks led by Julio Baptista. The all-whites attempted to play on the counter, but the Catalans didn't let them be rewarded for their efforts and consistently caught them offside and maintained control of the game.
The Catalans appeared determined to avoid a penalty shootout and continued to press to get the decisive winning goal until the final moments. Just when it seemed that a draw was inevitable, Iniesta delivered a dangerous cross that was inadvertently turned into the net by Fernando Sanz, three minutes into injury time, securing a victory for the Barça Legends.
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