Barcelona pre-season: Hamza Abdelkarim scores twice as Barça draw 2-2 with Birmingham City at St Andrew’s
Hamza Abdelkarim’s brace helped Barcelona to a 2-2 draw in their opening 2026–27 pre-season match at St Andrew’s, a fixture that underlined the promise and the questions in Hansi Flick’s evolving squad.
Barcelona arrived at St Andrew’s on Friday evening for a summer friendly that doubled as an early stress test for Hansi Flick’s plans for the new season. The 18-year-old Abdelkarim opened his Barcelona account with a calm penalty before adding a second-half poacher’s finish, and the lively encounter finished level after goals from Birmingham’s August Priske and Jhon Solís. The result left the Catalan side with encouraging signs from La Masia graduates while exposing areas — particularly midfield cohesion and match sharpness after wholesale changes — that will require attention as pre-season continues.
Abdelkarim announces himself with two clinical finishes
Hamza Abdelkarim was the headline act at St Andrew’s, converting a spot kick before half-time and reacting fastest to a rebound early in the second half to secure his double. His penalty arrived after a sustained Barcelona move that culminated in contact inside the box, from which the teenager showed a composed temperament to tuck the ball away. The second strike came from instinct and proximity; Roony Bardghji’s driven attempt was parried and Abdelkarim was quickest to turn the loose ball into the net. For a player of 18, those moments combined technical assurance with decisive movement in crowded penalty-area situations.
Abdelkarim’s contributions were made all the more notable by the context: Barcelona fielded a youthful side with several makeshift combinations and a number of academy graduates given extended runs. His finishing under pressure and willingness to occupy dangerous positions offered a genuine glimpse of a player who could press for more minutes as the club balances competitive fixtures with a packed pre-season schedule. Flick will have taken satisfaction from the teenager’s sharpness, but the manager will also have noted the need to manage his minutes and integrate the forward into a broader tactical setup without overexposing him.
Flick experiments with La Masia core and new signings
Hansi Flick selected a starting XI that featured a significant La Masia influence alongside a handful of first-team reserves and new arrival Karim Adeyemi, who made his Barcelona debut. The young right-back Xavi Espart and central midfielder Ebrima Tunkara were among the brighter performers in the opening exchanges, showing the sort of positional discipline and tempo control expected of Flick’s preparations. Adeyemi touched the ball frequently but was understandably profligate in the final third as he adjusts to new teammates and the manager’s demands.
Barcelona’s approach in the first 45 minutes reflected an intent to retain possession and probe through combinations rather than force low-percentage direct play, even as Birmingham’s higher pressing disrupted rhythm at intervals. Flick’s selection hinted at a season plan that will lean on academy products while gradually reintroducing established stars and new signings. That balance — integrating youth while preserving competitive stability — is a recurrent challenge for the coach and sporting directors, especially with the full competitive calendar approaching in the autumn.
Second-half substitutions swing momentum both ways
Flick’s decision to make four changes at half-time, including the introduction of Roony Bardghji, produced an immediate shift in tempo and attacking intent. Bardghji jolted the game with a long-range attempt that was saved, only for Abdelkarim to follow up and score the rebound, giving Barcelona the lead for the first time. The Swedish winger continued to be a threat down the flank before a further wave of substitutions almost entirely reset Barcelona’s lineup within minutes, creating a new set of dynamics for the closing stages.
That second wave of seven changes tested the cohesion of a makeshift Barcelona side and allowed Birmingham to exploit the disruption, with Jhon Solís equalising from a well-executed set piece. The Championship side’s sharper understanding and match readiness — reflecting their more advanced pre-season schedule — translated into control of certain phases, particularly around set plays and transitional moments. Flick’s rotation policy in the friendly will have been designed to evaluate depth and protect key individuals, but it also highlighted how frequent personnel shifts can temporarily undermine collective defensive organisation.
Young additions and academy graduates catch the eye
Beyond Abdelkarim and Bardghji, several young players left positive impressions during the 90 minutes, notably Brian Fariñas, Jordi Pesquer and Álex González. Each showed different attributes: Fariñas with incisive passing and mobility, Pesquer with technical composure under pressure, and González with a willingness to carry the ball into dangerous positions. These performances will be examined carefully by the coaching staff as they weigh options for squad lists and loan plans ahead of the competitive season.
The match served as a platform for Barcelona’s emerging cohort to register themselves in a competitive setting, and those short bursts of quality will matter when decisions are made about minutes in cup fixtures, rotational roles in La Liga and possible temporary moves away from Catalonia. The club’s sporting structure has repeatedly emphasised the value of giving La Masia graduates exposure in lower-stakes matches to accelerate development, and Friday’s friendly provided several examples of that pathway yielding tangible dividends.
Ceremonial shootout and a mixed night for Barcelona’s goalkeeper
After the final whistle a ceremonial penalty shootout took place — a feature occasionally used in pre-season to entertain supporters and test penalty takers — which Birmingham won. Barcelona’s goalkeeper Áron Yaakobishvili made two saves during the tie but could not prevent his side missing three attempts, a tally that ultimately handed the shootout to the hosts. While the shootout carried no competitive weight, it offered a light-hearted coda to the evening and extra shooting practice for players sharpening their finishing under pressure.
For Yaakobishvili, the shootout offered both positives and teaching points: his reflexes and command during the match drew occasional praise, but the distribution and coordination with a largely inexperienced back line will be areas to refine. Pre-season fixtures and activities such as this ritualistic shootout are useful for evaluating mentality and temperament in addition to technical skills, and coaches often take note of how players perform in these low-stakes yet revealing moments.
Historic tie with Birmingham framed the friendly
The fixture at St Andrew’s revived a historical connection between the two clubs, which previously crossed paths in the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup on five occasions, including a 1960 final that Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate, according to BBC records. That reference provided a nostalgic backdrop for supporters on both sides and added a sense of occasion to what might otherwise have been a routine warm-up match. For Barcelona, whose history is layered with continental meetings of various eras, the encounter served as a reminder of long-standing continental links and the continuity of football rivalries.
The historical context did not dramatically alter the sporting narrative of the evening, but it did add resonance for supporters who value those intergenerational stories. For Birmingham’s traveling fans, the opportunity to host a club of Barcelona’s stature and to test their team against a mixture of youth and new signings was a highlight at this stage of their own preparations. The mutual benefit — match fitness for Birmingham and developmental minutes for Barcelona — was evident throughout the 90 minutes.
Next steps for Barcelona ahead of a demanding schedule
Barcelona remain in England for further pre-season work and friendlies before preparing to return to competitive action in Spain and Europe, with Flick expected to continue rotating and refining his squad. The performance at St Andrew’s will serve as one data point in those deliberations, with particular attention on midfield balance and how to marry the energy of academy graduates with the tactical requirements Flick wants to impose. The coaching staff will use training sessions and upcoming friendlies to build sharper defensive organisation and consistency across 90 minutes.
Birmingham, meanwhile, leave the match with useful minutes in the legs before they begin their Championship campaign, which is scheduled to start on the weekend of August 14–16. The hosts’ readiness will be a bullish sign for Chris Davies, who will take confidence from his team’s ability to press high and extract errors from a technically proficient Barcelona side. For both clubs, the friendly delivered tangible lessons and visual evidence of where further work is needed ahead of the competitive calendar.
The draw at St Andrew’s provided a balanced early appraisal: Barcelona’s pre-season showcased raw talent, encouraging attacking instincts and moments of cohesion, while also exposing areas that require tactical polishing and stronger continuity across frequent squad rotations.
