MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Even without its brightest star, FC Barcelona still outshone its opponent Wednesday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
FC Barcelona overcame a halftime tie to defeat SSC Napoli in the first of two matches held on U.S. soil.
Sergio Busquets put FC Barcelona ahead 1-0 in the 38th minute, but SSC Napoli evened the score before halftime when FC Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti accidentally knocked the ball into his own goal.
FC Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic notched the final score of the game in the 79th minute.
Hard Rock Stadium played host to the inaugural La Liga-Serie A Cup match between FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli, Aug. 7, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The match was the first of two in the inaugural La Liga-Serie A Cup in the U.S. The second match is set for Saturday at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus.
FC Barcelona was playing without superstar Lionel Messi, who injured his calf during practice and didn't make the trip to South Florida.