Men and women to face Juventus in Joan Gamper Trophy
The Joan Gamper Trophy 2021, the 56th edition of the event, is going to be one with a very big difference. For the first time ever, it will be featuring not just the men’s team but the women too, with back-to-back games against the same side, none other than Juventus.
The Camp Nou will be the venue and the date is Sunday August 8. Jonatan Giráldez’s women’s team, the current European champions, will be kicking off at 6.00pm CEST, and Ronald Koeman’s men will be doing likewise at 9.30pm CEST.
Making the day even more special than ever, it will also mark the return of fans to the stadium, albeit only to 20% of capacity. That means for a maximum attendance of 19,869 people.
And like all other preseason games in 2021, the whole thing will be broadcast live on Barça TV+.
Juve the Gamper guests again
Juventus are returning to the Gamper after already being the guests in 2005, on a night that will always be remembered for an amazing performance from an as-yet little known youngster called Leo Messi. Visiting coach Fabio Capello was so impressed with the 18-year-old that the story goes that he even presented an offer to take the player on loan.
The game ended 2-2, with Iniesta and Van Bronckhorst scoring for Barça and Del Piero and Trezeguet for the Italians, with the latter eventually winning 4-2 on penalties.
The teams also met in a preseason friendly in 2017, that time at the Met Life, New Jersey, in the International Champions Cup. Barça won that game 2-1, with Neymar getting both goals and Chiellini netting for the opposition.
Familiar foe
Barça and Juventus are no strangers in the Champions League, and met in the group stage just last year. Barça may have won 2-0 in Turin, but they were soundly beaten 3-0 at Camp Nou.
The sides also met in 2017/18 (also in the group stage, with Barça winning 3-0 at home and drawing 0-0 away).
And a year before that, the Serie A side had knocked out the Catalans in the quarter finals. Juve won 3-0 at home and the game at Camp Nou ended 0-0.
But the most memorable encounter of all was the final in Berlin in 2015, where goals from Rakitic, Luis Suárez and Neymar Jr won Barça the trophy for the fifth time.
Altogether in 16 competitive meetings and five friendlies, Barça have won nine, drawn six and lost six.
Rematch for the women too
The Barça women also met Juventus very recently. That was in the round of 32 of the 2019/20 Champions League, when they won both legs. Goals from Alexia Putellas and Marta Torrejón earned a 2-0 victory in Italy, and at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Alexia and an own goal made it 2-1 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate.
