Barcelona prepare for La Liga season opener against Elche
FC Barcelona have shifted out of pre-season cruise control and into something far more serious. With the 2026/27 La Liga campaign just days away, the sessions at the Ciutat Esportiva are starting to feel like the real thing.
A 5-2 win over FC Basel has set a positive tone, but there’s no time to dwell on scorelines in August. The squad was back out for its second session of the week, eyes fixed on the Joan Gamper Trophy and, above all, Sunday’s league opener against Elche.
Xavi Espart back with the group
One new – and welcome – face returned to the pitch: Xavi Espart.
The La Masia midfielder, who caught the eye against Basel, rejoined full training after being granted a day off on Monday. It was a breather he had earned. A demanding pre-season with the first team came straight on the back of his involvement at the U19 Euros with Spain, and Hansi Flick chose to manage his workload carefully.
Rest over, Espart slotted back into the group and completed the full session alongside the senior squad, another clear sign of the trust he is building inside the dressing room.
Pedri and Gavi stay in the mix
If Espart’s presence was notable, the continuity of two other midfielders was even more significant.
Pedri and Gavi once again trained with the group, maintaining the step forward they had taken on Monday as part of their tailored adaptation and workload-management plans. Both are being handled with care after recent seasons in which their minutes piled up early and often.
Pedri, back from holiday and gradually increasing his rhythm, continues to respond well to the progressive plan drawn up for him. Gavi is following a similar path. Neither played a minute in the friendly against Basel, a deliberate decision as the staff look at the long game rather than a single pre-season outing.
Their ongoing integration means Flick can start to picture his midfield for the competitive matches to come, even if the final calls for Elche will only be made later in the week.
Flick’s balancing act
On the training pitch, Flick is walking a tightrope: sharpen the team for Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy at Spotify Camp Nou while already drilling patterns and details for Sunday’s La Liga trip to Elche.
This is the hinge week. The one where pre-season habits must give way to competitive edge.
The German coach is now into his final sessions before that shift becomes official. Intensity has gone up. So has the tactical detail. Every rondo, every pressing drill, every small-sided game is being shaped with two matches in mind, not one.
Youth brigade stays attached
The club’s commitment to youth was again on display.
Alvaro Cortes, Brian Farinas, Ebrima Tunkara, Orian Goren, Jordi Pesquer, Hamza Abdelkarim and Eder Aller all remained embedded in the first-team dynamic. These are not token invitations anymore; they have spent much of the summer under Flick’s eye and continue to live the rhythm of senior training.
For them, the Gamper and the early weeks of the season could be a window. For Flick, they are fresh legs, hungry profiles, and options that can change the tone of a game.
Gamper night on the horizon
The next checkpoint comes on Wednesday night.
Spotify Camp Nou will stage the Joan Gamper Trophy at 8 p.m., with Barcelona facing Egyptian side Al Ahly in the traditional curtain-raiser. Before the lights come on and the stands fill, the squad will train once more at the Ciutat Esportiva at 9:30 a.m., the final tune-up before walking out in front of their own fans.
Pre-season is almost over. The questions now are sharper: who has done enough to start at Elche, and which of these young faces will still be in the picture once the real points are on the line?
