Barcelona's Starting XI: Hansi Flick's Tactical Choices

Hansi Flick did not have to say a word.

Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy told its own story, and so has every team sheet he has put out this summer. With the La Liga opener against Elche looming on Sunday, his choices are already sketching out what that first competitive XI will look like.

Fitness, though, is still running the show. Several players who would normally walk into Barcelona’s strongest side are short of full sharpness, and that reality has pushed Flick to lean heavily on those who have survived the entire pre-season grind.

Some have been trusted again and again. Others have been shuffled into new roles, asked to adapt, asked to convince. The Gamper Trophy was one more dress rehearsal, and one attacking switch in particular felt like more than just a routine change.

A spine takes shape

The clearest clues lie behind the forwards.

In goal, Joan Garcia looks nailed on. Flick has gone back to him consistently, and nothing in the Gamper suggested that will change for Elche.

Ahead of him, Eric Garcia has quietly locked down the right-back spot. Used there repeatedly in recent weeks, he now looks less like a stopgap and more like Flick’s first solution on that flank.

Gerard Martin has also moved from hopeful to trusted. His performances across pre-season have pushed him into the conversation as a starter, and the expectation is that he will line up alongside Andreas Christensen at centre-back. That pairing has been Flick’s go-to when he has wanted structure and control.

On the left, Alejandro Balde’s return against Al Ahly offered a timely boost. Just being back on the pitch felt significant; the timing of his comeback makes him a strong candidate to start at left-back on Sunday.

If the back line is becoming clearer, midfield already feels close to set.

Marc Bernal has been the constant. Flick has repeatedly used him as the central piece in the middle of the pitch, the pivot around which others move. Either side of him, Xavi Espart and Fermin Lopez have emerged as the two names most often trusted to complete the trio. That combination has appeared again and again, and by now it looks less like an experiment and more like a plan.

All of this points towards an opening XI that may not match the idealised version in supporters’ minds once everyone is fully fit. But Flick is clearly ready to reward those who have been available, durable and consistent through the summer, even if it means some big names wait their turn.

The attack: one switch, one big clue

Up front, the picture is far less settled.

One thing is clear: Raphinha’s place is not up for debate. Flick has leaned on him and will do so again. The opposite flank is where the tension lives. Karim Adeyemi has the advantage of rhythm and minutes under this coach, a regular feature in pre-season. Lamine Yamal, though, brings a level of quality that demands consideration every time a team sheet is drawn up. That duel is very real.

The real intrigue, though, sits in the middle.

Hamza Abdelkarim has been Flick’s go-to No. 9 in the friendlies, the most frequently used option through the centre. Every warm-up game seemed to underline that status. Then came the Gamper Trophy, and a small moment that may carry big weight.

When Hamza went off against Al Ahly, it was not another orthodox striker who came on to replace him. Anthony Gordon slid into the central role.

That change felt deliberate. Flick has spent much of pre-season searching for different solutions at centre-forward, testing variations, asking different profiles to interpret the position. Gordon’s move into the middle in such a symbolic fixture suggests he is now seen as a genuine option there, not just a winger filling in.

It does not automatically push Hamza out of the frame for Elche. His minutes and usage still mark him out as a serious contender to start. But that single substitution sent a clear message: if Flick needs a different kind of reference point up front, he is prepared to turn to Gordon as his striker.

On Sunday, we will find out whether that Gamper hint was just a pre-season trial, or the first glimpse of Barcelona’s new attacking blueprint.