Fiorentina vs Barcelona: Bernardeshci's brace shuts down a Messi-less Barca in Italy

Luis Suarez' only goal for Barcelona was not enough for Barcelona against Fiorentina on the road as both teams closed their pre-seasons with a 2-1 win for the Italian side. A brace from Federico Bernardeschi was what guided a team that had finished fourth in the Serie A to defeat the winners of La Liga, the Spanish Cup and the Champions League. 

The Spanish side was down 2-0 before the game hit the 15-minute mark. They tried to react quickly with a goal from Luis Suarez but that was it for the team of Luis Enrique. Lucho tried to modify by using all his five substitutes, including Jordi Masip for Ter Stegen and Sandro Ramirez for Luis Suarez.

Neymar Jr. was not called in for this game and the same happened with Lionel Messi. The Argentinian striker had re-joined the team earlier this week but will not return to action with the team until their game against Sevilla on August 12. 

Barcelona has ended their pre-season and participation in the International Champions Cup with a record of one win and three losses, including one in penalty kicks against Chelsea. Fiorentina still has one game left against the Premier League champs, that lost against Arsenal in the Community Shield Cup final.

The Cules had 20 shots during the game, and eight of them were on target. Their opponents finished with 11 shots and only two on target, and both of them ended in the back of the net. Barcelona also dominated possession (70-30), but a solid defensive system implemented by Fiorentina got the job done. 

Bernardeschi was one of the few players from both sides to stay on the field the whole game. The 21-year-old striker is usually someone to come in from the bench, but this time, Paulo Sousa decided it was time to let the young man be a starter and he delivered the goods, which could make him a serious candidate to stay with the starting position for the upcoming tournament.