For Barcelona, that certainty didn’t look like a first preseason game.
Birmingham City are locked and ready to start their season next weekend with the goal of promotion to the Premier League on their minds. With Barcelona in town, this was not your typical friendly match.
That’s exactly what you want if you’re Hansi Flick, who needs to learn quickly if any of his young and unproven players have what it takes to break into the first team.
In a sea of academy products, however, Karim Adeyemi was there
making his debut. This was a very interesting way to be introduced to the life as a Blaugrana.
What we saw against Birmingham, in my opinion, was very encouraging writ large. Very few of the players who featured across the 90 minutes will have a big part to play when the season gets going for Barcelona, but it was a true tryout to identify who may be ready to make the jump forward in their careers.
It’s amazing to see the talent on display that has been cultivated at La Masia throughout the years, and Barca Atlètic just recently. I can’t imagine there being any other club in the world where watching a preseason game like this, without the first team superstars, can be so enjoyable and intriguing.
Adeyemi showed his versatility by playing out on the right wing, which will be critical in order to truly be able to win minutes this season. There’s a lot of competition in front of him on the forward line with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Anthony Gordon.
What stood out in his debut was that he understood the assignment Flick gave to him. Frankly, he wasn’t the only one. The entire front four were on point with the intensity of the press, and direct attacking approach.
Adeymi had great chemistry with Ebrima Tunkara in particular, who started in the attacking midfield. The two linked up well, and were having fun breaking through the midfield line to spring attacks.
Hamza Abdelkarim stole the show with his two goals, and will certainly be a striker option to watch going forward, but his success came not from incredible individual display, but rather by playing so well off his teammates, and anticipating, like a shark in the water, when to go in for the kill.
I’m even excited by what we saw from Shane Kluivert and Álex González. These are not your typical Barca academy forwards, undeniably blessed with technical talent, but missing the dynamism to be successful on the first team. They look like they’ve been studying what Flick demands, and those attributes were highlighted nicely against Birmingham City.
As the preseason rolls along, we’ll be seeing less of the young faces as more and more Barca stars return from their post World Cup vacations.
If you had to guess, Flick showed his hand and the academy guys that we saw in the starting eleven against Birmingham City are the ones who are likely top of mind for the manager. You can also throw in Álvaro Cortés, who looked strong and sharp in the second half, especially given that Barca still haven’t signed a new defender.
Another storyline for me is to see Adeyemi alongside his first team comrades. Anthony Gordon and Adeyemi will be a shot of adrenaline to the forward line, taking some of the pressure off Raphinha.
Barcelona’s next chapter of the Flick Era starts now.
This time, everyone knows what’s expected of them, and what to expect from the manager. That includes Barca’s rivals.
The question is whether Barcelona can reach new heights. The trial by fire process will be a fun way to get a look at the future.
One thing is for sure. Hansi Flick isn’t messing around.
