Hansi Flick has a clear idea of his preferred starting XI for the 2025/26 season | OneFootball

If Barcelona’s opening pre-season games are anything to go by, the team has great depth across the field heading into the new season.

In both games, the rotated lineup that featured after the break pulled off a superior performance, likely because they had a lot to prove, and the situation can only be seen as a positive by the manager.

Now, however, Mundo Deportivo make a massive break, stating that Hansi Flick has decided his best XI for the new season.

Largely constant

Given that Barcelona won the domestic treble last season, it is not surprising that the manager’s preferred XI largely stays the same. There are, however, a couple of notable changes.

Starting in goal, Joan Garcia takes over as Flick’s preferred goalkeeper, especially with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in a complicated situation and Wojciech Szczesny better placed as a backup.

Joan Garcia will be Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper. (Photo by Paul Miller/Getty Images)

The defensive line remains exactly the same as last season. Alejandro Balde will be Flick’s first-choice left-back, and Jules Kounde at right-back.

Despite the defence looking shaky in recent games, all signs point to Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez remaining starters.

In midfield, the German tactician sees Pedri and Frenkie de Jong to be the best combination to start in the double pivot, as was clear when they started together last season. Dani Olmo, meanwhile, is the preferred attacking midfielder.

In attack, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha understandably retain their places on the wings but there is a major change in the number nine position where Ferran Torres is expected to take the place of Robert Lewandowski.

While the Polish striker has indeed proven that age is just a number, Torres has Flick’s confidence for the new season due to his ability to press intensely when off the ball – something that is fundamental to the manager’s plans.