Udinese Wins Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup with 1-0 Victories Over Barca and Forest

Udinese claimed the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup title after Vakoun Issouf Bayo scored a last-minute winner against Barcelona.

Udinese secured the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup on Saturday at the Bluenergy Stadium, defeating Barcelona 1-0 and Nottingham Forest 1-0. The Italian hosts clinched the trophy in the final match of the triangular tournament when Vakoun Issouf Bayo scored a last-minute winner against the Spanish champions. The Ivory Coast forward finished a counter-attack by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny to settle the 45-minute showdown.

Earlier in the round-robin event, Udinese opened the competition with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Defender Oumar Solet provided the decisive goal in the 28th minute, connecting with a corner kick to power a header past Matz Sels. The tournament utilized an irregular format consisting of three back-to-back 45-minute matches in Udine.

Raphinha Penalty Decides Barcelona vs. Forest

Barcelona also earned a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the second match of the day. The LaLiga side required a stoppage-time penalty from Raphinha to secure the win after Nikola Milenković was penalized for a handball in the box. Despite the narrow scoreline, both sides created significant chances during the single period of play.

For Forest, Morgan Gibbs-White struck the woodwork, while Dan Ndoye saw an effort saved by Szczęsny. Igor Jesus also threatened for the Premier League club but sent a header just wide of the target. Barcelona’s offensive efforts included a shot against the post from youngster Brian Fariñas and a save by Matz Sels to deny Hamza Abdelkarim before the late spot kick.

Barcelona Roster and Tactical Possession

In the deciding match against Udinese, Barcelona maintained the majority of possession despite missing several key players. The Catalan club competed without eight World Cup-winning Spain internationals, Jules Koundé, and Anthony Gordon, all of whom remained on holiday. Sixteen-year-old Ebrima Tunkara featured for the Blaugrana, showing comfort in ball progression, though the team lacked a clinical edge in the final third.

Udinese’s performance in the finale was characterized by a strong start and a late resurgence. After losing their rhythm during the middle portion of the 45-minute game, the Italian side utilized a quick break in the final minute to find Issouf Bayo alone in the penalty area. This victory follows reports that Ferran Torres has informed Barcelona of his desire to join PSG, and that Atlético Madrid is maintaining its stance on Julián Álvarez despite interest from the Catalan side.

Upcoming Fixtures and Season Openers

Udinese transitions to competitive play next weekend with a Coppa Italia fixture against Padova. Barcelona continues their preseason schedule in Switzerland against Basel before hosting Egyptian club Al Ahly for the Joan Gamper Trophy at Spotify Camp Nou on August 19.

Nottingham Forest has two remaining friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Brest. The Premier League side will then begin their domestic campaign against Leeds United later this month. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup served as the final meeting between these three clubs in this inaugural triangular format.