Preparations by Flick
Barcelona, LaLiga champions for the past two seasons, begins its title defence at the Estadio Martínez Valero against Elche at 21:30 on Movistar LaLiga. The pre‑season has been atypical, marked by World Cup participation and the progressive integration of several internationals. Up to eight world champions are part of the squad, which is still finding its rhythm.
Squad uncertainties
Flick will have Cancelo, Adeyemi, Gordon and Rodri available, all registered in LaLiga. Rodri will not travel for the match because he has not yet worked with the group due to a lack of training; he will return on Monday. Bisiwu, 18, will have a reserve team contract but cannot be available for Flick in this debut because bureaucratic issues have prevented his visa from being completed on time. In attack, the coach may opt for Raphinha or Gordon as a false nine, while Hamza, the summer top scorer with four goals, will compete for the striker role.
Defensively, Cancelo seems destined for left‑back, though he has only completed two sessions. Balde has not travelled with the squad, and uncertainty extends to the centre‑back line, where the choice to pair with Gerard Martín is between Koundé and Christensen. In midfield, Espart and Bernal aim to start in the pivot.
Elche and its history at Martínez Valero
Elche, with coach Martín Anselmi making his debut as host, will welcome Barça, one of the two teams that won at Martínez Valero last season. The Illicitan side, which was the sixth best home team in Primera last season, has maintained a strong home record that it wants to continue to achieve the survival objective. The club has again reached the top of the subscription list with 27,000 and, despite the coaching change, will keep the possession model, aiming to compete one‑on‑one with Barcelona.
Barcelona is preparing to face Elche at the Estadio Martínez Valero at 21:30, with the expectation that the squad will be complete except for Bisiwu, whose visa is still pending.
