Barcelona starts preseason with win over CE Europa in closed-door friendly
Barcelona began its preparation for the 2026/27 season with a friendly against CE Europa, a match played behind closed doors and without TV broadcast. The Blaugrana, who finished last season as La Liga leaders with 94 points (31 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses), aim to regain their best form after an inconsistent end to the campaign (2 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses in their last five games).
What is Barcelona's lineup?
Hansi Flick, Barcelona's manager, does not have the full squad available due to several players' participation in the 2026 World Cup. The starting lineup includes Wojciech Szczesny, Alejandro Balde, Andreas Christensen, Fermín López, Marc Casadó, Gerard Martín, Marc Bernal, Héctor Fort, Roony Bardghji, and Karim Adeyemi, the recent signing. The rest of the squad is mainly composed of young players from La Masía.
Who are the absentees for Barcelona?
Barcelona will be without several key players due to their involvement in the 2026 World Cup. Among the absentees is Frenkie de Jong, who is currently sidelined. Additionally, other players who had a standout performance in the tournament have yet to rejoin the team.
When and where is the match being played?
The friendly between Barcelona and CE Europa took place on Friday, July 24, at 1:00 PM Peru time. The match, which was not broadcast on TV or streaming platforms, was the first test for the team led by Hansi Flick before the official start of the campaign.
