Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Barcelona beat CE Europa 4-1 in their first pre-season friendly under Hansi Flick, with goals from Ibrahim Diarra, Hector Fort, Ebrima Tunkara and Alex Gonzalez.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Flick named a side heavy on academy products for the opening 45 minutes at an undisclosed training venue. Wojciech Szczęsny started in goal behind a back four of Hector Fort, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín and Jofre Torrents. Guille Fernández and Brian Fariñas anchored midfield, with Roony Bardghji, Ibrahim Diarra, Hamza Abdelkarim and Shane Kluivert — son of Patrick Kluivert — operating in attack.
New signing Karim Adeyemi was present but did not feature, having only joined up with his new team-mates for training on the day of the match.
Diarra opened the scoring early, continuing the form that made him one of Barcelona's most-watched academy prospects. Fort doubled the lead around the half-hour mark with a well-taken finish from the right-back position. However, Europa struck back before the interval to make it 2-1 at half-time.
Flick rang the changes at the break, introducing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Álex González, Xavi Espart, Toni Fernandez, Marc Casado, Tommy Marques and Orian Goren among others. The reshuffle paid off as Barcelona regained control in the second half.
Ebrima Tunkara made it 3-1 with a composed finish, and Álex González completed the scoring late on to seal a 4-1 victory.
Key performers
Ibrahim Diarra — the Mali-born midfielder opened the scoring and looked sharp throughout. The 18-year-old is expected to push for first-team minutes this season after impressing with Barça Atlètic.
Hector Fort — the right-back not only held his defensive line well but also got forward to score Barcelona's second. A continued development arc from last season's breakthrough campaign.
Ebrima Tunkara — added a well-taken third goal in the second half, demonstrating the depth of striking options Flick has at his disposal.
Shane Kluivert — the son of club legend Patrick Kluivert made his first pre-season appearance, operating on the left flank and showing flashes of the movement that has drawn comparisons to his father's timing in the box.
What it means
This was Barcelona's first pre-season fixture under Hansi Flick, who took over ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The German coach used the game to evaluate a mix of experienced squad members and academy prospects, with several first-team regulars rested or given only second-half minutes.
Barcelona's next pre-season friendly will be a training camp in England at St George's Park, where they will face further opposition as they build towards the new La Liga season.
Verdict
A routine and valuable workout for a Barcelona side that is still blending Flick's methods with a youthful core. The scoreline was never in doubt after the first half, but the manager will have learned more about his squad depth than the result itself. Europa FC, playing their own pre-season schedule, will take positives from their first-half response.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jul 2026