| Trofeu Catalunya Internacional 2016 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Estadi Montilivi in Girona hosted the match | |||||||
| Event | Catalonia International Trophy | ||||||
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| Tunisia won 4–2 onpenalties | |||||||
| Date | 28 December 2016 (2016-12-28) | ||||||
| Venue | Estadi Montilivi,Girona, Spain | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Xavi (Catalonia) | ||||||
| Referee | Alfonso Álvarez (Spain) | ||||||
| Attendance | 8,311[1] | ||||||
←2013 | |||||||
The2016 Catalonia International Trophy is the 6th edition of theCatalonia International Trophy, pittedCatalonia againstTunisia on 28 December 2016 at theEstadi Montilivi inGirona,Catalonia, Spain. Tunisia won the title after winning on penalties.[2]
The two teams previously faced each other once during the 2011 Catalonia International Trophy at theEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys inBarcelona, Spain. The match ended in a 0−0 draw.[3] Despite the draw, the Catalan team conceded the trophy to Tunisia in a clear display of fair play.[4]
In the first half,Tunisia came out much more revolutionized thanCatalonia and in a few minutes was ahead on the scoreboard thanks to two goals in twelve minutes by the same player,Youssef Msakni, who bravely made the pair of central players suffer,Andreu Fontàs andSergi Gómez, and they were anticipated twice to make it 0−2. Catalonia, under the baton ofXavi Hernández, reacted and a step forward resulted inGerard Moreno's goal, with a strong left-footed shot from the front of the area.[5]
Far from losing continuity, the wheel of changes after the break has made the game gain dynamism. Xavi received one of the biggest ovations of the evening when Gerard and Sergio replaced him in the second half forOriol Riera.[6] Girona footballerPere Pons, who played the second 45 minutes, has also been highly acclaimed by Montilivi. Another time Msakni, with a pipe from the front unstoppable forEdgar Badia, has put two goals ahead for Tunisia and forced Catalonia to row again against the current.
The selection, however, has offered a spectacular final stretch of the match and with a great reaction.[7] He got back into the game with the 2−3, made byGerard Valentín and signed bySergio García. The goal gave even more spark to Catalonia, which did not take long to make it 3−3, the work of Verdú after a great cross, also from the right, byÁlvaro Vázquez.[8] In the last few minutes, the selection has been looking for the 4−3 with insistence, but has not found it despite having some very interesting arrivals. He also had the 3−4 Tunisia in the last gasp.[9]
Catalonia  | 3–3 |  Tunisia |
|---|---|---|
Gerard 35'S. García 69'Verdú 79' | Report | Msakni 9',30',67' |
| Penalties | ||
Verdú Víctor Álvarez Vázquez  Riera | 2–4 | SassiDhaouadiBguirAzouniKhalifa |
        Catalonia |     Tunisia |
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)