Hansi Flick Refines Barcelona's Strategy Ahead of La Liga Opener
On the eve of Barcelona’s La Liga opener, Hansi Flick has stopped experimenting for the sake of it. The Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly is no longer just a showpiece; it is a near-full rehearsal.
The academy presence has thinned out over preseason, the internationals have drifted back into camp, and the German coach is now edging towards something that looks very much like his first competitive XI for Elche. Even this morning’s light session at the Ciutat Esportiva, ahead of the clash with the Egyptian champions, carried that feel. New signing Rodri joined in, but the real clues came 24 hours earlier.
Kounde back in the middle
Tuesday’s training game pulled the curtain back on Flick’s selection plan. Three players were pushed into roles that do not usually belong to them: Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Brian Farinas. They were split across different teams, each trial a separate tactical question.
The big one concerns Kounde. Long debated, now edging towards a definitive call. With Ronald Araujo gone and Eric Garcia having convinced the new staff on the right side of defence last season, the Frenchman has been steered back towards his original habitat: centre-back.
The idea had already been circulating inside the club. Now it is being acted on. Kounde lined up in the middle of defence in Tuesday’s session, anchoring the back line rather than patrolling the flank. If Flick was still unsure, this would not be the moment to tinker. The timing suggests conviction, not curiosity.
Alongside that, Xavi Espart again stepped into midfield, mirroring his role in the friendly against FC Basel. It was another small but telling repetition: Flick is not just throwing players around the pitch, he is doubling down on roles he wants to solidify before Elche arrive.
Farinas steps into a new lane
The surprise came on Kounde’s outside. Brian Farinas, a player who has never operated as a winger or full-back with Barça Atletic, was asked to play as a right-back.
It was not an accidental shuffle. Flick has previously floated Tommy Marques as a possible option for that position. Now Farinas has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order, at least for this week. The youngster hugged the touchline on Kounde’s right, tasked with giving width and defensive cover from an area he is still learning to read.
For a coach who values structure, trusting an academy player in an unfamiliar role so close to the season’s start says plenty. It hints at a squad still being reshaped, but also at Flick’s willingness to bend profiles to fit his idea rather than waiting for the perfect specialist.
Raphinha’s No. 9 audition continues
Up front, the experiment is starting to look like a plan. Raphinha was again used through the middle as a centre-forward, reprising the role he took on in the Basel friendly.
Once more, Flick pinned the Brazilian to the No. 9 position, asking him to lead the line rather than attack from the wing. Against Basel, he shared that responsibility with Anthony Gordon, another name the coach has openly floated as a central option. The message is consistent: the striker role is open to interpretation, and the wide forwards are not chained to the touchline.
On the opposite team in training stood Hamza Abdelkarim, the forward who will face his boyhood club in the Gamper and who is also in the frame for minutes up front. He is expected to battle directly with Raphinha for the starting spot tonight, a duel that could spill over into the early weeks of La Liga.
The stakes for a friendly are rarely this clear. One game, one trophy, and a final chance for Flick to see whether Kounde can truly command the centre, whether Farinas can survive as an emergency full-back, and whether Raphinha can convince as the man through the middle.
By the time Barcelona walk out for the Gamper against Al Ahly, the outline of the team to face Elche should be there in plain sight. The question now is not who plays, but who can turn this last audition into a permanent role.
