Barcelona will conclude their pre-season preparations on Sunday as they host Italian side Como for the annual Joan Gamper Trophy. The match, which will be held at the Estadi Johan Cruyff this year, will also mark the emotional return of a club legend to Catalonia.
The main storyline surrounding the fixture is the return of former Barça midfield maestro Cesc Fàbregas, who is now the manager of Como. After guiding his side to an impressive 10th-place finish in Serie A last season, he brings his unbeaten pre-season squad to face his old club.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are also in formidable form. They are returning from a hugely successful tour of Asia where they were undefeated and scored an incredible 15 goals across their three matches, and they will be keen to end their preparations with another trophy.
However, Barça will be without some key players for their final friendly. Star striker Robert Lewandowski has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while club captain Marc-André ter Stegen also remains sidelined. Lewandowski’s absence is expected to give new loan signing Marcus Rashford his first opportunity to start as a central striker for the club.
Predicted Lineups
- Barcelona Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): J. García; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Dro, Raphinha; Rashford.
- Como Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; Van Der Brempt, Kempf, Goldaniga, Valle; Perrone, Baturina; Rodriguez, Paz, Diao; Douvikas.
Score Prediction Despite Como being unbeaten in their own pre-season schedule, they will face a massive step up in quality against the La Liga champions. Barcelona’s attack has been simply unstoppable this summer, and even without the prolific Lewandowski, the likes of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and a motivated Marcus Rashford should have more than enough firepower to secure a comfortable victory in front of their home fans.
Prediction: Barcelona 2–0 Como