Hamza Abdelkarim scores twice in Barcelona debut but penalties hand Birmingham City 3-2 friendly win

Barcelona began their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Birmingham City on Friday evening, losing the subsequent penalty shootout 3-2 at St. Andrew's Stadium. The match marked the first appearance of summer signing Karim Adeyemi and a breakthrough evening for 18-year-old forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who scored both of the Catalan side's goals.

Abdelkarim takes centre stage

Abdelkarim, signed from Al Ahly and a full Egypt international after featuring at the recent World Cup, delivered the sharpest performance in a Barcelona side filled with academy players. He won and converted a first-half penalty to level at 1-1 after August Priske had headed Birmingham ahead on the half-hour, then pounced on a rebound created by Roony Bardghji to make it 2-1 early in the second period. The teenager had already earned a reputation as an opportunistic finisher in Barcelona's youth ranks before the end of last season, and his double confirmed it on a night when little else went smoothly for the visitors.

“Abdelkarim, un juvenil de 18 años fichado del Al Ahly, internacional por Egipto, debutante en la pasada Copa del Mundo, que marcó los dos goles y confirmó la condición de ariete oportunista.”

Adeyemi debut falls flat

The other headline name, Karim Adeyemi, started on the right wing wearing the number 14 shirt but faded after an early shot was blocked. The former Borussia Dortmund winger, signed earlier in the week and backed strongly by manager Hansi Flick, could not impose his pace or directness against a physical Birmingham side and was replaced before the second-half improvement. Flick had acknowledged pre-match that the German would need time to find rhythm, and the 45-minute outing provided little more than a run-out.

A team of youngsters and stand-ins

Flick fielded a line-up heavy on Barça Atlètic and Juvenil players, with Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal anchoring midfield in the same partnership that started the German coach's first league match in charge. Wojciech Szczesny deputised in goal with Marc-André ter Stegen finalising a loan move to Ajax, while regulars such as Alejandro Balde, Fermín López and Raphinha were either still recovering from injuries or held back. Héctor Fort played the closing minutes as a central defender, and several youngsters appeared out of position as Flick tested the depth of La Masia options ahead of a season that begins in two weeks.

Set-piece weakness exposed

Both Birmingham goals came from aerial deliveries into the box. Priske beat Jofre Torrents to a cross for the opener and later forced a sharp save from Szczesny in a near-identical move. After Abdelkarim's second goal gave Barcelona the lead, the English side equalised from another dead-ball situation, with former Girona midfielder Jhon Solís exploiting the same fragility. The pattern echoed a warning that had already surfaced after the first friendly, a 4-1 win over Europa, and it left Flick with a clear area to address before the competitive fixtures start.

Bellingham watches on

Jude Bellingham was among the crowd at his former club's ground, watching a contest that caught several spectators by surprise when it went to penalties. Some fans had already left St. Andrew's before the shootout was announced, and Flick himself avoided watching the series, focusing instead on the competitiveness his young squad had shown. Barcelona missed chances late in normal time through Ibrahim Diarra and Álex González, leaving the door open for Birmingham to take the post-match honours from the spot.