Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ disastrous own goal and Luis Suarez’s last-minute winner saw Arsenal lose 2-1 to Barcelona in their final pre-season match.
Arsenal took the lead in the Joan Gamper Trophy game at the Camp Nou thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s drive into the top corner from just inside the box.
The home side dominated much of the play but found it difficult to create clear-cut chances in the absence of captain Lionel Messi.
Messi addressed the Barca fans before kick-off and said he did not regret vowing he and his team-mates would do everything to bring the Champions League back to Catalonia ahead of last year’s Gamper.
This year, he assured the club would compete for all the biggest prizes again this term but sat the game out due to his participation in the Copa America this summer.
Barcelona’s major signing of the summer Antoine Griezmann had an effort ruled out for offside and received a warm applause from the 98,812-strong crowd when he came off on 78 minutes.
At that stage they were level as Maitland-Niles intercepted a loose ball into the Arsenal area and, without looking, played a pass back towards goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who had moved off his line.
Gunners defender Sokratis Papsatathopolous frantically raced back to clear the ball away but to no avail – the goal mirroring that of former Tottenham defender Kieran Trippier who inadvertently put the ball past Hugo Lloris in a defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in March.
The game appeared to be heading for penalties when Suarez hit the side netting and Gabriel Martinelli volleying the ball just wide with ten minutes left at the other end.
However, Suarez would have the final say after directing a precise volley past Leno to seal the win for the Blaugrana in the final minute.
