Ahmed Musa scored twice but could not stop Leicester City,
the Premier League champions, slipping to a 4-2 International Champions
Cup defeat against Barcelona in Stockholm.
Leicester – who were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the same
competition in Los Angeles last weekend – appeared to be heading for an
embarrassing defeat after Munir El Haddadi (two) and Luis Suárez scored
before the break.
However, the Nigerian striker Musa, Leicester’s record signing at a
reported £16m from CSKA Moscow last month, scored twice as a second-half
substitute before the teenager Rafael Mujica secured Barcelona’s
victory late on.
Fed by his fellow substitute Shinji Okazaki, Musa announced his
arrival within two minutes of his introduction when he outstripped three
Barcelona defenders from halfway and kept his composure to finish.
Musa struck again after 66 minutes when Jeffrey Schlupp won
possession high up the pitch and the 23-year-old drilled his shot high
into the Barcelona net to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Leicester then had strong claims for a penalty when Musa tumbled
under Javier Mascherano’s challenge but their hopes of a morale-boosting
draw were ended when Mujica struck six minutes from time.
Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester manager, named both Jamie Vardy and
Riyad Mahrez in his starting line-up just four days ahead of the FA
Community Shield meeting with Manchester United at Wembley. But the
Leicester defence were almost cut open at will with Barcelona pair
Lionel Messi and Suárez too hot to handle.
Demarai Gray should have given Leicester a fourth-minute lead from
Danny Drinkwater’s brilliant pass, but Barcelona’s slick approach play
was eventually rewarded after 26 minutes.
Messi caught out Danny Simpson
with a clever ball inside the full-back and Munir’s excellent left-foot
finish did the rest.
Suárez doubled the lead eight minutes later after he evaded Robert
Huth and Ben Chilwell in a tight area and poked home past Ron-Robert
Zieler. Huth and Andy King had chances to reduce the deficit and
Leicester were punished on the stroke of half-time when Munir sprinted
on to Suárez’s inch-perfect pass and finished nonchalantly.
