Jude Bellingham made a return to his hometown club on Friday, trading his usual match kit for a place in the stands at St. Andrew's. The Real Madrid midfielder cheered on Birmingham City during their preseason friendly against Barcelona. It was a productive night for the Championship side, who managed a 2-2 draw against the Spanish giants before winning a tense penalty shootout 3-2.
August Priske struck first for Birmingham, capitalising on an Alexander Cochrane cross to put the home side ahead early. Barcelona responded through Hamza Abdelkarim, an 18-year-old striker who recently returned from World Cup duty with Egypt. Abdelkarim showed his potential by winning and converting a penalty before netting a second-half goal to give the visitors a temporary lead.
Jhon Solis pulled Birmingham back into the game midway through the second half, turning home a loose ball to lock the score at 2-2. While both sides traded late chances, goalkeeper James Beadle proved the difference. He made several key stops during regulation time and secured the victory for Birmingham by denying Brian Farinas in the shootout.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick utilized an inexperienced squad as many regulars remain unavailable following the World Cup. The match provided valuable minutes for younger players, including new signing Karim Adeyemi, who made his debut for the club. Birmingham now shifts focus to their upcoming Carabao Cup opener against Swansea City, while Barcelona prepares for a friendly against Nottingham Forest before their league campaign begins later in August.