Barca do not like to lose in this Joan Gamper Trophy game, having won 13 of the last 14 – and in the last three seasons they have beaten Inter Milan 5-0, Bayern Munich 4-0 and Boca Juniors 2-1.Norfstander
And critics of City’s trip to Catalonia have suggested it was disruptive and tiring, just three days before an important home fixture with Wolves.
But the win now gives their confidence a shot in the arm heading into the Premier League clash.
We can't fool ourselves, this was only a friendly, but it was as much our second side as theirs. Only three or four we played would be in our first team, ditto for Barca. We coped brilliantly well. Dunne was a rock, as at Blackburn. Ned coped admirably at right-back. Ben Haim didn't look out of place. Ireland didn't stop. Tevez showed promising signs. Petrov looked more hungry than in pre-season, and most impressively, Weiss gave the first real signs that he's ready for a role in the senior squad. Brilliant!Mark Hughes
"You expect to concede possession to a team of Barcelona's quality, but you have to take your chances when they come. We were calm, organised and understood what we were trying to achieve.
"We're very proud, it was a great evening. To have a good night and win at the Nou Camp doesn't happen to many teams, so when it does happen, you have to enjoy it. It doesn't get much better.
"We're told it's the first time an English team has won the Joan Gamper trophy. OK, it's a friendly, but it's still a feather in our cap. Barcelona aren't allowed to lose friendlies, especially on their own patch."
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