Barcelona have named their starting lineup for their final pre-season friendly against FC Basel, with all eyes immediately turning towards new signing Anthony Gordon.
The English forward is set to make his first appearance for the Blaugrana after completing his move from Newcastle United before the World Cup, giving supporters an early look at how Hansi Flick could use him ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Barcelona will wear orange for the match, but the bigger talking point is Gordon’s role.
The exact tactical setup has yet to be confirmed, although the former Newcastle United attacker could be used through the middle as a centre-forward.
With the competitive season now around the corner, this is Flick’s final opportunity to test his ideas before Barcelona begin their La Liga title defence.
Gordon headlines Barcelona’s final pre-season starting XIFlick has selected a strong but slightly experimental side for the trip, mixing established first-team players with younger options.
Barcelona are set to line up with Joan Garcia; Xavi Espart, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin, Alejandro Balde; Marc Bernal, Eric Garcia; Karim Adeyemi, Fermin López, Raphinha; and Anthony Gordon.
Gordon’s inclusion is naturally the headline.
The new Barcelona signing could operate as the central striker, although his versatility gives Flick several options.
He can also play from the left or move across the attacking line depending on how Barcelona approach the match.
This friendly will provide an early indication of where Flick sees Gordon fitting into his plans.
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