Barcelona continued their preparations for the 2026/27 season with an impressive 5-2 victory over FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park in Switzerland. Hansi Flick used the friendly to give valuable minutes to established players, new signings and youngsters, with several of them making an immediate impact.
One of the biggest positives was the return of Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old Spain international had been given additional recovery time after his recent commitments and returned to action with a goal and an assist. His comeback gives Flick another major attacking option as Barcelona approach the start of competitive football.
The Catalans opened the scoring in the 34th minute through Karim Adeyemi. Raphinha provided the assist and Adeyemi finished the move to score his first goal for Barcelona. Basel responded before half-time, with Jean Doucoure reducing the deficit and keeping the Swiss side in contention.
Barcelona restored their advantage shortly after the break. Hamza Abdelkarim scored in the 49th minute to make it 2-1, another encouraging contribution from one of the younger players being given opportunities during preseason.
Yamal then made his presence felt. The Barcelona No. 10 converted a penalty in the 81st minute to put his team 3-1 ahead. Basel responded through Kazeem Olaigbe, also from the penalty spot, but Barcelona finished the match strongly.
Jesse Bisiwu scored twice in the closing minutes, finding the net in the 89th minute and again in stoppage time to complete the 5-2 victory. The late brace was another example of Barcelona’s younger players taking advantage of their opportunities during the summer preparations.
Another important development was Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona debut. The England international played the first 45 minutes and showed his pace and direct style on the wing. The match on August 16, 2026, therefore became his first appearance in a Barcelona shirt following his move to the Catalan club.
For Flick, the result was useful not simply because of the five goals. The German coach was able to assess different combinations while gradually reintegrating players whose preseason schedules were affected by international commitments.
Barcelona’s attacking options are becoming increasingly varied. Yamal’s return adds creativity and one-on-one ability, while Adeyemi opened his scoring account and Gordon gained his first match experience with his new teammates. The performances of Abdelkarim and Bisiwu also demonstrated the depth available among the younger players.
The 5-2 scoreline underlined Barcelona’s attacking strength, although conceding twice also gives Flick areas to work on before competitive matches begin. Preseason results carry limited significance on their own, but the ability of both established players and newcomers to contribute will
