Kiko Seike left Barcelona stunned with a superb finish as Brighton faced off against Europe’s elite side.
There was plenty for the Seagulls to take from a 3-1 defeat at the Estadi Jordi Cruyff as the new WSL season approaches.
The Sussex side had been invited to take on the Catalan giants in the traditional Trofeo Joan Gamper season opener.
European champions Barca claimed the trophy for the fifth occasion out of five editions.
However, Seike’s effort from out on the right dragged them level at 1-1 temporarily and represented the first goal the hosts had conceded in such matches.
Albion head coach Dario Vidosic remarked that they are a tremendous side, with the determination evident throughout.
The Sussex club had approximately ten minutes to get ready following the Genk encounter, a 3-0 friendly victory in the Netherlands on Tuesday, managing just one training session before boarding a flight.
That proved far from ideal when facing Europe’s finest, the Champions League holders, and their quality was evident.
In the opening period especially, Brighton struggled with conflicting pressing strategies and their intended gameplan.
They addressed those issues after the break, producing a significantly improved display.
The home crowd appeared reasonably impressed by Brighton’s showing.
Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s prominent sports newspaper, noted their team had to work hard to overcome a Brighton side with real quality.
They also highlighted how Brighton posed dangers on the counter-attack, while Seike’s effort earned praise as a magnificent strike.
Picked out by an astute long ball from Jelena Cankovic, the Japan international outmuscled her opponent and fired a shot beyond Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll.