According to Mundo Deportivo, Hans Flick's starting lineup for the Gamper Trophy revealed some of his ideas for the starting lineup in the league opener against Elche, which will be played away at 3:30 a.m. Beijing time on Monday.
Especially considering the current situation, the German coach has been trusting some players in the numerous preseason friendlies, but many of the theoretical starters are not yet ready to play.
The Spanish national team players, who just won the World Cup a little over a month ago, have only trained for about a week and a half and are not yet ready to be in the starting lineup. Exceptions include Joan Garcia, who didn't participate in the World Cup, and Eric Garcia, who only played in the final minutes of the final, which were the most crucial moments of the entire tournament.
Judging from the signals released by Flick , Barcelona's starting lineup in Elche will not differ much from that in the Gamper Trophy: Joan Garcia in goal; the defense consisting of Eric Garcia, Christensen, Gerard Martín, and Balde; Marc Bernal in central midfield, Espart on the left, and Fermín on the right; and Yamal or Adyemi and Rafinha on the flanks. Hamza Abdelkarim will receive the most playing time in the number nine position. However, the Gamper Trophy left a potentially significant detail: after the Egyptian striker was substituted, Gordon moved to that position.
The midfield options seem the clearest, with Fermín, Bernal, and Esparte essentially confirmed. In defense, Eric Garcia is the obvious choice for right-back, Gerard Martín is confirmed for left center-back, and Christensen will play right center-back. At left-back, Balde returns from the Gamper Trophy, while Jordi Pesker has already shown some promise. Up front, Rafinha's position is secure, and Adyemi is more established on the right wing, though Yamal is, after all, Yamal.
