Barcelona 2 – 2 Birmingham City

CLUBFRIENDLY · July 31, 2026 · Final

🎧 Post-Game Report (audio)

Post-Game Recap

Barcelona and Birmingham City played to a two-all draw in their preseason friendly on Thursday evening, and this one had some real back-and-forth to it before all was said and done.

Barcelona controlled the tempo from the jump, holding sixty-eight percent of the ball and generating thirteen total shots to Birmingham's eight, so the hosts were clearly dictating terms. But Birmingham showed they could hurt you on the counter, and August Priske was at the center of that threat, finishing as the visitors' leading shot-taker with two attempts. Alex González Yanes matched that mark for Barcelona, but it was Xavi Espart who was the engine in the middle — fifty-one accurate passes, keeping that Barcelona possession machine humming throughout.

On the other end, Christoph Klarer was the backbone of Birmingham's defensive effort, recording seven defensive interventions and completing nineteen accurate passes out of the back. The man was everywhere. And when Klarer wasn't enough, James Beadle was there behind him, pulling off four saves to keep Birmingham in it against a Barcelona side that put six shots on target.

Barcelona had the territorial advantage and the cleaner discipline — only ten fouls to Birmingham's eighteen and just one yellow card compared to two — but they couldn't convert that dominance into a winner.

In a summer friendly, a point apiece is fine, but Barcelona will want cleaner finishing when the real action starts. That's your post-game report. Sports Desk, signing off.

AI-generated post-game report composed from the official play-by-play and box score.

Complete Play-by-Play

Show all 126 plays

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

First Half begins.

Foul by Kanya Fujimoto (Birmingham City). 1'

Marc Casadó (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 1'

Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 6'

Foul by Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona). 6'

Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 7'

Foul by Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona). 7'

Offside, Birmingham City. Kanya Fujimoto is caught offside. 8'

Attempt blocked. Shane Kluivert (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Marc Casadó. 9'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Phil Neumann. 9'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Gerard Martín. 11'

Attempt blocked. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christoph Klarer with a headed pass. 12'

Foul by Phil Neumann (Birmingham City). 12'

Jofre Torrents (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 12'

August Priske (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 13'

Foul by Marc Bernal (Barcelona). 13'

Kanya Fujimoto (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 15'

Foul by Marc Bernal (Barcelona). 15'

Attempt saved. August Priske (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Wojciech Szczesny (Barcelona). Assisted by Phil Neumann with a headed pass. 16'

Foul by Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City). 18'

Ebrima Tunkara (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing. 18'

Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 18'

Offside, Birmingham City. August Priske is caught offside. 20'

Delay in match because of an injury Carlos Vicente (Birmingham City). 23'

Delay in match because of an injury Marc Casadó (Barcelona). 23'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 23'

Jhon Solís (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 25'

Foul by Ebrima Tunkara (Barcelona). 25'

Offside, Birmingham City. Carlos Vicente is caught offside. 27'

Foul by Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City). 28'

Marc Casadó (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 28'

Attempt missed. Andreas Christensen (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marc Casadó. 29'

Goal! Birmingham City 1, Barcelona 0. August Priske (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Cochrane with a cross. 31'

Attempt missed. Xavi Espart (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. 33'

Foul by Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City). 34'

Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 34'

Delay in match because of an injury Kanya Fujimoto (Birmingham City). 34'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 36'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Christoph Klarer. 37'

Foul by Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City). 39'

Shane Kluivert (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 39'

Attempt missed. Xavi Espart (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation. 40'

Penalty conceded by Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City) after a foul in the penalty area. 40'

Penalty Barcelona. Hamza Abdelkarim draws a foul in the penalty area. 40'

Goal! Birmingham City 1, Barcelona 1. Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner. 42'

Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 44'

Foul by Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona). 44'

Delay in match because of an injury Phil Neumann (Birmingham City). 44'

Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 44'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 45'

Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time. 45'

Attempt saved. Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal by Wojciech Szczesny (Barcelona). Assisted by James Beadle. 45'+1'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Wojciech Szczesny. 45'+1'

First Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Barcelona 1. 45'+2'

Substitution, Barcelona. Roony Bardghji replaces Karim Adeyemi. 45'

Second Half begins Birmingham City 1, Barcelona 1. 45'

Substitution, Barcelona. Alex González replaces Shane Kluivert. 45'

Substitution, Barcelona. Ibrahim Diarra replaces Ebrima Tunkara. 45'

Substitution, Barcelona. Álvaro Cortés replaces Gerard Martín. 45'

Delay in match because of an injury Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona). 46'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 46'

Foul by Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City). 48'

Foul by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City). 50'

Xavi Espart (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 50'

Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 50'

Foul by Kanya Fujimoto (Birmingham City). 52'

Marc Casadó (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 52'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Phil Neumann. 55'

Offside, Barcelona. Alex González is caught offside. 58'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Scott Wright replaces Jay Stansfield. 59'

Foul by Scott Wright (Birmingham City). 59'

Xavi Espart (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 59'

Attempt saved. Roony Bardghji (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by James Beadle (Birmingham City). Assisted by Marc Bernal. 60'

Goal! Birmingham City 1, Barcelona 2. Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona) left footed shot from very close range to the top left corner. 60'

Substitution, Barcelona. Guille Fernández replaces Hamza Abdelkarim. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Héctor Fort replaces Andreas Christensen. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Orian Goren replaces Marc Casadó. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Jordi Pesquer replaces Xavi Espart. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Brian Fariñas replaces Marc Bernal. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Áron Yaakobishvili replaces Wojciech Szczesny. 62'

Substitution, Barcelona. Óscar Gistau replaces Jofre Torrents. 62'

Foul by August Priske (Birmingham City). 62'

Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 65'

Foul by Héctor Fort (Barcelona). 65'

Attempt blocked. Carlos Vicente (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. 66'

Attempt missed. Jhon Solís (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. 67'

Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 68'

Foul by Ibrahim Diarra (Barcelona). 68'

Goal! Birmingham City 2, Barcelona 2. Jhon Solís (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Christoph Klarer with a headed pass following a set piece situation. 68'

Scott Wright (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 71'

Foul by Ibrahim Diarra (Barcelona). 71'

Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Jhon Solís. 74'

Foul by Kanya Fujimoto (Birmingham City). 74'

Álvaro Cortés (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 74'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Bright Osayi-Samuel. 75'

Attempt missed. Brian Fariñas (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner. 75'

Foul by August Priske (Birmingham City). 76'

Orian Goren (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 76'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Ethan Laird replaces Bright Osayi-Samuel. 77'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Dael Fry replaces Phil Neumann. 77'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Luis Vázquez replaces Tomoki Iwata. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Menzi Mazwi replaces Jhon Solís. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Briar Bateman replaces August Priske. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Patrick Roberts replaces Carlos Vicente. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Lee Buchanan replaces Alex Cochrane. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Jack Robinson replaces Christoph Klarer. 78'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Cobi Maddox replaces Kanya Fujimoto. 78'

Foul by Patrick Roberts (Birmingham City). 79'

Jordi Pesquer (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 79'

Foul by Jack Robinson (Birmingham City). 80'

Roony Bardghji (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 80'

Attempt missed. Ibrahim Diarra (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Óscar Gistau. 82'

Attempt blocked. Orian Goren (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Guille Fernández. 87'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Dael Fry. 87'

Attempt saved. Alex González (Barcelona) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal by James Beadle (Birmingham City). Assisted by Jordi Pesquer. 88'

Foul by Ethan Laird (Birmingham City). 89'

Alex González (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing. 89'

Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time. 90'+1'

Foul by Cobi Maddox (Birmingham City). 90'+1'

Ibrahim Diarra (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 90'+1'

Briar Bateman (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing. 90'+1'

Foul by Brian Fariñas (Barcelona). 90'+1'

Attempt saved. Roony Bardghji (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by James Beadle (Birmingham City). Assisted by Orian Goren. 90'+3'

Attempt saved. Alex González (Barcelona) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by James Beadle (Birmingham City). 90'+3'

Second Half ends, Birmingham City 2, Barcelona 2. 90'+3'