Udinese triumphed over Spanish champions Barcelona and English Premier League’s Nottingham Forest on Saturday, claiming the first Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup.
In a thrilling finish, Vakoun Issouf Bayo scored a last-minute goal, leading the Italian side to a 1-0 victory over Barça, after both teams had previously defeated Forest by the same score.
This triangular tournament featured an unconventional format of three consecutive 45-minute matches, held at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy.
The competition began with the host team, Udinese, edging out Forest with a 1-0 win in a tight contest.
Defender Oumar Solet netted the only goal in the 28th minute, connecting with a corner to power a header past Matz Sels.
The next match between Barça and Forest provided more excitement, with a stoppage-time penalty from Raphinha deciding the outcome in favor of the LaLiga team.
Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White hit the post, while Dan Ndoye was thwarted by Wojciech Szczęsny, and Igor Jesus narrowly missed with a header.
Barça had chances of their own, including a shot from young talent Brian Fariñas that hit the post and a denied attempt from Hamza Abdelkarim. Raphinha’s late penalty came after Nikola Milenković handled the ball.
This set the stage for a deciding clash between Udinese and Barça.
Despite fielding a relatively inexperienced team without their eight World Cup-winning Spanish internationals and other key players, Barça dominated possession during the match.
Sixteen-year-old Ebrima Tunkara showcased his skills pushing forward, but the Catalan team struggled to convert chances.
Udinese started the match strong, faltered in the middle, but rebounded to secure the win on a late counterattack.
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A quick break allowed Issouf Bayo to find space in the box, and the Ivorian forward confidently lifted the ball over Szczęsny to clinch the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup.
Udinese will shift their focus to competitive play next weekend against Padova in the Coppa Italia, while Barça and Forest have upcoming friendlies.
Barça is set to face Basel in Switzerland next weekend, followed by a match against Egyptian team Al Ahly at Spotify Camp Nou for the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 19.
Meanwhile, Forest has matches scheduled against Bayer Leverkusen and Brest before launching their Premier League season against Leeds United later this month.