Regardless of the dazzling influence of Hansi Flick’s first season at Barcelona, the newly-fluent Spanish speaker now faces the formbook in his try and retain the LaLiga title.
The defending champions haven’t prevailed since Barca achieved the feat in 2019, and they’re the one membership to have retained the title greater than as soon as within the final 35 years.
Actual Madrid’s galaxy of superstars are favourites to complete high this time, with their two defeats in El Clasico finally pricey as 4 factors separated the 2 likeliest champions on the finish of 2024/25.
Having been on the summit for all however seven matchweeks final day out, can Barcelona maintain off Madrid in type once more?
Barcelona signings 2025/26
Probably the most high-profile arrival has been long-term goal Marcus Rashford, who is predicted to supply width after the England worldwide joined on mortgage for the season from Manchester United.
Sweden Beneath-21 right-winger Roony Bardghji scored on his non-competitive debut towards Vissel Kove after signing for round £1.7 million from Copenhagen, and Joan Garcia is ready to be first selection following the goalkeeper’s swap from Espanyol for round £21.6m.
Crucially, ahead Lamine Yamal signed a brand new contract a month after the top of final season to maintain the Ballon d’Or contender on the membership till 2031.
Spain sensation Yamal contributed 18 objectives and 25 assists in 55 matches in all competitions final season and the 18-year-old has been in menacing kind throughout pre-season.
What else would possibly change for Barcelona in 2025/26?
Days earlier than the season began, there was acquainted speak of monetary machinations to finalise participant registrations in order that Rashford, Garcia, Bardghji, back-up goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and left-back Gerard Martin are allowed to play.
Former Spain centre-back Inigo Martinez left for Al-Nassr, with Ronald Araujo and 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi more likely to be the beginning centre-backs in what Flick hopes will probably be a extra resolute defence.
Barca’s respectable home defensive document was nonetheless the worst of the highest 4, and so they conceded 10 instances within the ultimate three video games of their Champions League marketing campaign, going out within the semi-finals to objectives within the third minute of added time and ninth minute of additional time towards Inter.
Lengthy-serving Marc-Andre ter Stegen – one among Barca’s captains – is poised to depart as soon as the goalkeeper has had again surgical procedure, and Rashford is ready to turn into the primary male English participant since Gary Lineker to start out a sport for the membership.
Final season’s high scorer, Robert Lewandowski, is probably not again from a hamstring harm till Barca’s anticipated return to the revamped Camp Nou.
No less than the primary three league video games of their season will probably be away, that means they won’t play a house match till mid-September on the earliest.
The place will Barcelona end in 2025/26?
They might have to dominate the derbies once more however the pattern of the title swapping fingers every season ought to maintain few fears for Barca, not least as a result of Madrid have had considerably much less preparation time following their involvement within the draining Membership World Cup within the US.
The principle hazard is the potential revitalisation of Los Blancos underneath new manager Xabi Alonso, who dethroned Bayern with Leverkusen throughout an unbeaten 2023/24 season. Madrid can even be wanting to avenge defeats within the Copa del Rey and Spanish Tremendous Cup finals.
