Overview
Barcelona will aim for the 48th Joan Gamper title when facing Al Ahly, thereby closing the preparation process for the new season in a positive way.
Hansi Flick's team played 5 friendly matches in the pre-season period, winning 3 and conceding 2 defeats. Barcelona entered the confrontation with Al Ahly after an impressive performance, defeating Basel with a score of 5-2.
This is also Barcelona's last friendly match before the official season kicks off. The Catalan team will meet Elche in the opening round of La Liga on August 23. Meanwhile, the match against Athletic Bilbao in round 1 has been postponed to August 27 due to the number of players of the two teams participating in the final stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Barcelona has made many changes in the squad in the 2026 summer transfer window. Flick's team has recruited 5 new players including Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Jesse Bisiwu, Rodri and Joao Cancelo.
However, Barca's strengthening campaign has not stopped. They still want to add a striker before the transfer window closes, with Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid being identified as the top target.
While Barcelona has gone through a series of friendly matches to prepare for the new season, Al Ahly has only played one match this summer. That was a 1-2 defeat to CE Europa on August 14.
The confrontation with Barcelona will be Al Ahly's second and final friendly match before the Egyptian team enters the 2026-2027 season. They will start the Egyptian Premier League campaign with a match against Enppi on August 23.
Barcelona has an advantage in both experience and squad quality compared to their opponent. The Catalan team has won Joan Gamper's championship 47 times and is aiming for their 48th title. Last season, they also closed the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Como.
Notably, Barcelona has not lost at Joan Gamper since the 0-1 defeat to Sampdoria in 2012. That series of achievements creates more motivation for Flick's team to continue to maintain their position in the annual home tournament.
Personnel situation
Barcelona will not have Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji due to injury, but Hansi Flick still possesses a relatively strong force. Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo have returned after winning the 2026 World Cup with the Spanish national team.
Raphinha may continue to be positioned in the center of the attack, while newcomer Anthony Gordon takes on the role on the left wing.
On Al Ahly's side, Youssef Belammari and Ibrahim El Asyuti will not be able to play due to injury.
Coach Hussein Ammouta is expected to continue rotating the squad in this match to help players have the best preparation before the new season. However, Hussein El Shahat and Mounsef Bakrar are likely to still be given a starting spot.
Expected lineup:
J. Garcia, Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde, Bernal, Espart, Gordon, Olmo, Yamal, Raphinha.
Al Ahly: Shobeir, Hany, Ibrahim, Reyad, Mohamed, Ateya, Kouka, Ashour, Zizo, Bakrar, El Shahat.
The match between Barcelona and Al Ahly takes place at 1:00 AM on August 20 (Vietnam time).
