Flick concedes Barcelona could still be ‘missing something’

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Despite a strong victory in pre-season, Hansi Flick acknowledged Barcelona could still be “missing something” ahead of their LaLiga curtain-opener.

Barcelona’s latest pre-season exploits saw them record a thumping 5-2 win over Basel.

New signing Karim Adeyemi put Barcelona in front in the 34th minute, though they were pegged back just before half-time by Jean Doucoure.

Substitute Hamza Abdelkarim restored the LaLiga champions’ lead shortly after the half-time break, before a late flurry of goals rounded off the action.

Lamine Yamal scored from the penalty spot in the 81st minute after Jules Kounde was fouled, but Kazeem Olaigbe cut the deficit back to one from 12 yards moments later.

A late double from Jesse Bisiwu, who scored twice in two minutes, then secured a big win for Flick’s side.

Good feelings. Job done. pic.twitter.com/AUo5G9XqEz

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 16, 2026

Despite a lot of impressive displays from both new signings and familiar faces, Flick believes there are still a few pieces missing from the puzzle.

It comes after the news that Manchester City have accepted a €76.5m bid for Rodri, while Barcelona are being consistently linked with a move for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.

“It could be that we’re missing something; we’ll see this week,” Flick said after the victory.

“There’s intensity and quality in training. I see the team raising its level, and that’s the most important thing. We have to work hard to maintain the level of last season.

“It’s been a good test for us; we’re already thinking about the debut against Elche. It’s not an easy management; there are many players who have joined recently.”

Adeyemi and Bisiwu both scored their first goals for Barcelona, who dominated, racking up 25 shots, though only six of those were on target.

Their 4.3 expected goals (xG) showed the quality of their chances, while they limited Basel at the other end, with Stephan Lichtsteiner’s side only managing six shots.

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