Although the 2026/27 La Liga season has already started, Barca don’t play their first fixture of the campaign for another week, so Sunday afternoon saw them continue their pre-season preparations with a fixture against Basel.
With the Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly to come, it was the penultimate chance for Hansi Flick to see what his side are made of, and to give some more fringe players a chance to impress.
Let’s take a look at three talking points from the game…
Fleet-footed Gordon
For any culers wondering what it is
that Anthony Gordon will bring to the party, we saw it in abundance against the Swiss side.
His energetic and positive running were a feature for the Blaugranes, and his purpose was crystal clear every time he got the ball.
Whoever should begin the season in the central position – hopefully not Gordon himself – needs to be on the same wavelength, because the England star’s pace and directness are going to see him beat his marker out wide more often than not.
He wasn’t shy to get back and win the ball when necessary too, so Hansi Flick couldn’t really have asked for more from the Englishman.
Could Eric and Marc Bernal save the club €70m?
Although the signing of Rodri from Man City seems to be a foregone conclusion depending on which media outlet you get your news from, it’s worth posing the question as to whether Barca could actually spend the money better elsewhere?
Against Basel, both Eric Garcia and Marc Bernal acquitted themselves well, and while neither could hold a candle to Rodri as a defensive midfielder, both can play in the position, and as they showed on Sunday, they’re perfectly adept at playing in that role.
Just because Barcelona can sign Rodri, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they should, unless Flick and Deco explicitly believe that he will take the side to another level.
Eric and Bernal at least showed that the club have options.
Balde is still a problem for Barca
Alejandro Balde has had more than enough time to cement himself as the go-to left-back for the first team, but even now, there’s still something missing from his game.
How many times did he misplace a pass, not get in his cross after overlapping, or was found out of position?
For the equaliser in the first half, maybe he was further away than he needed to be too, or is that a little harsh?
There’s a reason why Gerard Martin has now become a favourite for that particular role, and there’s an argument for cashing in on Balde while the club still can.
