FC Porto Fidelidade 3-6 Barça: World Champions!
Barça are world champions! The blaugranes defeated FC Porto Fidelidade 6-3 in the final of the 2023 Copa Intercontinental in extra time to take their sixth every victory in the competition. Edu Castro's team were well worth the win against the current European Champions, despite letting slip a three goal lead to see the game go into an extra period in which they scored three times to assert their dominance.
Start worthy of a final
The game started briskly as you would expect between two of the top sides in the world. There were chances for Ignacio Alabart and Pau Bargalló for the blaugranes and also for former Barça man Hélder Nunes for the Portuguese outfit. In the 10th minute Barça finally found a way through, Marc Grau starting a counter that was well finished off by Alabart. Just four minutes later Sergi Panadero's unstoppable shot made it 2-0 and the same player hit the post almost immediately after.
Three goals in eight minutes came courtesy of Pau Bargalló after a direct free hit and a blue card for Di Benedetto. However, just before half time Porto pulled one back to give themselves a chance in the game, Di Benedetto the scorer.
Second half turn around
Porto came out after the break determined to get back into the final only to come up against a determined Sergi Fernández in goal for Barça. The keeper was finally beaten when Rafa Costa made it 3-2 on 32 minutes.
The game then entered into a period where both sides had chances but it was Hélder Nunes who finally found the net for Porto with just two minutes remaining, the ex-blaugrana's shot taking a deflection to beat Sergi Fernández in the 48th minute to make it 3-3 and send the final into 10 minutes of extra time.
The Intercontinental is blaugrana!
Edu Castro's team started the extra period in the best possible fashion, Marc Grau giving them back the lead at 4-3 in the very first minute. Almost straight away, a rapid counter saw Barça take a two goal lead when Barroso finished well. The icing on the cake came when Pau Bargalló made it 6-3 on 55 minutes to round off the win and claim a sixth Intercontinental trophy for FC Barcelona.
MATCH STATS
FC Porto Fidelidade, 3
Barça, 6
FC Porto Fidelidade: Xavi Malián, Edu Lamas, Gonçalo Alves, Hélder Nunes, Carlo Di Benedetto -starting five- Telmo Pinto, Ezequiel Mena, Rafa Costa, Diogo Barata, Leonardo Pais
Barça: Sergi Fernández, Ignacio Alabart, Pau Bargalló, Xavi Barroso, João Rodrigues -starting five- Sergi Panadero, Marc Grau, Sergi Llorca, Eloi Cervera, Carles Grau
Goals: Ignacio Alabart (0-1, min. 10), Sergi Panadero (0-2, min. 14), Pau Bargalló (0-3, min 18), Carlo Di Benedetto (1-3, min. 23), Rafa Costa (2-3, min. 32), Hélder Nunes (3-3, min. 48), Marc Grau (3-4, min. 51), Xavi Barroso (3-5, min. 52), Pau Bargalló (3-6, min. 55)