Heartbreak in Baltimore, Barça fall to AC Milan in shootout

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Robert Lewandowski scored twice and was named man of the match but it wasn’t enough as AC Milan came out on top after a penalty shootout before 51,337 fans at M&T Bank Stadium.

Barça thus end the 2024 summer tour with two wins and a defeat. Their first two games on US soil were both impressive wins, beating Manchester City in Orlando and Real Madrid in New York.

But the third and final game of the tour did not yield the same result. AC Milan struck first, with Luka Jović scoring from inside six yards in the 10th minute, assisted by the American Christian Pulisic. Just six minutes later, Pulisic doubled Milan's lead, finishing from a tight angle after a brilliant setup by Rafael Leão.

Barça responded quickly, with Robert Lewandowski finding the net from the edge of the area in the 22nd, thanks to an assist from Raphinha. The Catalan side nearly equalized again in the 29th, but Lewandowski's header was saved and then hit the post.

After a cautious quarter hour of play from both teams, Pau Víctor nearly equalized in first-half injury time, but his goal was ruled out for offside.

In the second half, Lewandowski brought Barça level in the 58th, volleying in a precision assist from Pau Víctor. Despite a powerful shot from Raphinha being turned aside in the 64th minute, the match remained tied at 2-2.

With Soccer Champions Tour rules calling for penalty kicks to decide tied games, Barça, which had previously beaten Manchester City in a shootout, would have to beat AC Milan from the spot as well. Although Barça's Iñaki Peña saved Milan's first penalty, the Italian side ultimately prevailed, winning 4-3 after six rounds after Barça's Mika Faye saw his shot saved, ending Barça's unbeaten preseason run.