Udinese Triumphs in Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, Defeating Barcelona and Nottingham Forest
UDINE, ITALY – Udinese secured victory in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, overcoming both Barcelona and Nottingham Forest with a score of 1-0 in each match of the mini-tournament.
The Friulani hosted the competition at the Bluenergy Stadium, featuring three matches of 45 minutes each, with points awarded for every win.
Udinese kicked off the evening by claiming a 1-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, thanks to a powerful header from Oumar Solet, who connected with a corner delivered by Nicolò Zaniolo.
Barcelona later took the field, managing to edge past the Premier League side with another 1-0 score, courtesy of a late penalty converted by Raphinha after a handball by Milenkovic.
Prior to the match involving Barcelona, a minute’s silence was observed for the late Jorge Messi, father of former captain Lionel Messi, who passed away after a prolonged illness.
In the final match, Udinese clinched the trophy with a last-minute goal from Vakoun Bayo, who skillfully lobbed the ball over Wojciech Szczesny, the former Juventus goalkeeper.
Nicolò Zaniolo received the tournament’s player of the tournament award as Udinese celebrated their victory on home soil.
Udinese have won the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, managing to defeat both Barcelona and Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the mini-tournament.
The Friulani hosted the competition at the Bluenergy Stadium, which consisted of three matches of 45 minutes each with points assigned for each victory.
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Udinese host Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup
UDINE, ITALY – AUGUST 08: Eric Moreira of Nottingham Forest has a shot at goal saved by Daniele Padelli of Udinese during the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Udinese at Bluenergy Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Udinese opened the night by getting the better of Nottingham Forest 1-0 thanks to a thumping Oumar Solet header on a Nicolò Zaniolo corner.
Barcelona then also defeated the Premier League side 1-0, this time with a penalty converted late on by Raphinha, awarded for the Milenkovic handling offence.
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There was a minute’s silence before kick-off in Barcelona’s game for the death of their former captain Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge, who died today after a long illness.
Finally, the Italians secured the trophy in the last minute with a 1-0 win over Barcelona, sealed by Vakoun Bayo, who dinked the delicate finish over former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Zaniolo was named player of the tournament, as Udinese lifted up the trophy on their home turf.
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