Barcelona began their pre-season preparations with a convincing 4-1 friendly victory over CE Europa behind closed doors, as academy forward Hamza Abdelkarim delivered an eye-catching display for new coach Hansi Flick.
The match, played at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, was Barcelona’s first outing since returning to training on 13 July and offered Flick an initial look at a squad heavily populated by youngsters from La Masia and the club’s reserve and youth teams.
While the scoreline was emphatic, Barcelona’s priority was physical conditioning and giving minutes to a wide range of players rather than the final result. Flick named a starting line-up that is unlikely to resemble his preferred XI once the competitive season begins, using the game primarily as an early-stage exercise in assessment.
Abdelkarim makes his mark
Abdelkarim, one of the most prominent La Masia talents on show, seized his opportunity. The young attacker scored a notable goal to extend Barcelona’s lead in the first half, underlining his strong presence among the new generation pushing for recognition.
Barcelona controlled the tempo from the outset and broke the deadlock on 30 minutes through Brian Farinas, who opened the scoring after sustained pressure from the hosts. Just two minutes later, Abdelkarim doubled the advantage with a well-taken finish that highlighted his attacking instincts.
Europa responded before the interval, pulling a goal back in the 42nd minute to reduce the deficit and ensure Barcelona’s youngsters were tested defensively. The first half finished with the hosts 2-1 ahead.
Second-half control and standout performers
After the break, Barcelona increased their attacking sharpness and added two further goals to close out the game at 4-1, maintaining control and showing growing cohesion as the minutes passed.
In midfield, Guille Fernandez produced an impressive performance, dictating play and standing out for his composure and work rate in the centre of the pitch. Ebrima Tunkara also caught the eye, delivering a strong display that underlined the depth of emerging talent available to Flick.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen featured for the entire second half despite being close to completing a loan move to Ajax, offering valuable experience and leadership behind a largely youthful outfield. By contrast, Adeyemi was left out of the matchday squad and played no part in the fixture.
Encouraging start for Flick
With many of Barcelona’s established internationals still absent, Flick leaned heavily on academy products and younger squad members for his first game in charge. The blend of a comfortable win, promising individual displays and useful early fitness work provided an encouraging platform as the club builds towards the new season.
For Flick, the performance will have been as important as the result, with several youngsters – led by Abdelkarim, Fernandez and Tunkara – using the opening friendly to strengthen their case for further involvement as pre-season progresses.
