Barcelona begin their title defence without rhythm. Eight matches await in 29 days
Barcelona are finally ready to begin their league season. They start a week later than most of their rivals, with players at very different stages of preparation and a schedule that has already stopped pretending it intends to be helpful. Hansi Flick’s team will play eight matches over the next 29 days.
Their first opponent will be Elche at the Estadio Martínez Valero on Sunday at 21:30 CEST. It will be Barcelona’s first competitive fixture of the 2026/27 season, even though it officially belongs to the second round of La Liga.
The opening-round match against Athletic Club was postponed until Thursday because several Barcelona players reached the latter stages of the World Cup. The delay provided the internationals with additional rest. Rest and preparation for competitive football are not quite the same thing.
Flick has admitted that some members of his squad are still short of their ideal condition. He warned that Barcelona may lack fluency during the opening weeks, but immediately removed the most convenient excuse available to him: limited preparation will not be accepted as a reason for dropping points.
Barcelona are expected to win before they are fully ready. The club is familiar with operating against a clock, although the rush usually involves registering players at the end of a transfer window rather than completing an entire opening schedule.
Sunday’s match begins a run of eight fixtures in 29 days across La Liga and the Champions League. Barcelona will face Athletic Club only four days after visiting Elche before hosting Rayo Vallecano on 31 August. Their first three league matches will therefore be played in the space of eight days.
The squad situation makes the start more complicated. Rodri has not travelled to Elche and is expected to join full team training on Monday. Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are also listed among the absentees. João Cancelo, however, has been registered, trained with the squad and has been declared ready to play by Flick.
The biggest question concerns the centre-forward position. Barcelona have not signed a natural number nine following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Flick says he has already decided who will play there and even hinted at a surprise. Pre-season leading scorer Hamza Abdelkarim is an obvious candidate, but the coach has not confirmed that the teenager will start.
Any line-ups circulating several hours before kick-off should be treated only as predictions. The official team will be announced shortly before the match. Flick must find a balance between players who completed the full pre-season and those who have only recently returned from holiday or begun training with their new teammates.
Elche have problems of their own, although they are unlikely to spend the entire evening defending the edge of their penalty area. Martín Anselmi’s side began the season with a 1–1 draw away to Deportivo La Coruña and recorded more than 60 per cent possession. They appear determined to continue the ambitious style previously established by former Barcelona assistant Eder Sarabia.
The hosts did, however, lose their three leading scorers from last season. Their attack has been rebuilt, and several new players are still adapting to top-flight football. Barcelona should not require a complete squad and several weeks of collective training to create chances against them. At least that is the theory. August is usually very generous with theories.
History also favours the visitors. Barcelona have won on each of their last eight trips to the Estadio Martínez Valero. According to the club’s official match centre, they have recorded 14 victories and one draw in their 15 meetings with Elche since 2011.
More than 30,000 supporters are expected at the stadium for Elche’s first home fixture of the season. Barcelona will not be given a quiet evening simply because bookmakers consider them clear favourites.
Flick begins the title defence with a stronger squad but no new centre-forward and several important players still working towards full fitness. Sunday’s match may not show what Barcelona will eventually become this season. It should show whether they can collect points while still deciding who is fit, who is ready and who exactly is supposed to play at number nine.
Elche vs FC Barcelona
Date: Sunday, 23 August 2026
Kick-off: 21:30 CEST
Venue: Estadio Martínez Valero
Competition: La Liga, Matchday 2
Coverage: Barcelona’s official international guide lists Canal+ as the rights holder in Poland but advises viewers to check local listings for the specific channel.
Sources: FC Barcelona – the unusual opening schedule, Barca Blaugranes – match preview, FC Barcelona – international broadcast information, Cadena SER – more than 30,000 expected at the Martínez Valero
