Birmingham City produced a stirring pre-season result at St Andrew’s on Friday as they defeated Barcelona on penalties after the match finished 2-2 in normal time. The friendly carried special local interest with hometown star Jude Bellingham watching from the stands and new signings featuring in the line-ups.
Match summary and key moments
The visitors fielded a team largely made up of academy players and reserves, while Birmingham included recent acquisitions and a mix of senior and younger players. Birmingham took the lead in the 31st minute through August Priske. Barcelona responded when Hamza Abdelkarim levelled from the penalty spot after a foul eleven minutes later, and the Egyptian forward then put Barcelona ahead on the hour mark. Birmingham drew level in the 68th minute when Jhon Solis volleyed home from a well-worked free-kick.
- Full-time: Birmingham 2–2 Barcelona
- Penalty shootout: Birmingham won 3–2 on penalties
- Notable attendees: Jude Bellingham
Players and performances
Birmingham manager gave game time to a combination of established and younger players. Barcelona’s line-up included summer signing Karim Adeyemi and several other named players such as Wojciech Szczesny, Andreas Christensen and Marc Bernal. The game reached spot-kicks with both goalkeepers making crucial saves in the shootout: Barcelona’s Aron Yaakobishvili and Birmingham’s James Beadle each made stops, while Barcelona youth defender Jordi struck the crossbar.
"We then win it 3-2 on penalties!"
What this means for Birmingham
The result provides a morale boost ahead of competitive fixtures. Birmingham begin their 2026–27 campaign with a Carabao Cup tie at Swansea City on 8 August and open their Championship season at Sheffield United a week later. A victory over a high-profile visiting side, even one with many academy players, will be welcomed by supporters and may give the manager options and confidence heading into the early competitive matches.
| Competition | Pre-season friendly |
|---|---|
| Venue | St Andrew’s, Birmingham |
| Final (pens) | 2–2 (Birmingham won 3–2 on penalties) |
With the season opener approaching, the club will look to build on this result and finalise preparations. The attendance of a figure who came through Birmingham’s academy underlined the local resonance of the fixture.
