Pau Victor continued to shine as his two goals helped Barcelona edge rivals Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season.
Pau Victor scored twice as Barcelona maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season, beating rivals Real Madrid 2-1 to give Hansi Flick his maiden El Clasico triumph.
Victor scored twice either side of half-time with two instinctive finishes inside the area, with Nico Paz scoring late on for Madrid to set up a nervy final 10 minutes.
But Barca, who beat Manchester City on penalties earlier this week, were able to hold on in front of a sell-out crowd in New York.
The game was suspended for an hour after a wild storm around MetLife Stadium and when play continued, Barcelona showed Real why they won’t have it all their own way in La Liga again this season.
Despite Madrid dominating possession, their opponents created the better chances and took the lead three minutes before the break when Robert Lewandowski’s header found Victor to finish from close range.
The 22-year-old would grab his second of the game in the 54th minute, sliding in to bundle Alex Valle’s teasing delivery beyond the grasp of Thibaut Courtois.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side would get themselves on the scoresheet eight minutes from time when Arda Guler’s corner kick found an unmarked Paz to head the ball home.
Madrid pushed to find an equaliser with Vinicius Junior going close, but Barcelona were able to hold on to take the first El Clasico of the season.
Data Debrief: Victor to replace Lewandowski up front?
Having scored eight goals less than Madrid in La Liga last season, Barcelona are keen for more firepower, and they may have found the answer in Victor.
The Spaniard impressed again for Flick’s side, registering the most shots (six), most shots on target (four), and touches in the opposition box (five) than anyone on the pitch.
Barcelona ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.52, with Victor contributing 1.57 to that total during his impressive showing.
