Barcelona 'Launches Campaign' Against Elche

Barcelona are preparing to launch their official campaign for the new season when they travel to face Elche on Sunday evening in the second round of La Liga, while Atletico Madrid aim to secure a second consecutive victory in their match against Villarreal.

The defending champions, who have won the title in the past two seasons, missed the opening round of fixtures, which was scheduled to feature a clash with Athletic Bilbao, after being granted additional rest following their participation in the 2026 World Cup.

Barcelona enter the match with the aim of making a strong start to the new season, particularly as an away opener against Elche could provide German manager Hansi Flick with an early test of his players’ readiness and the squad’s ability to implement his tactical ideas under the pressure of official matches.

At a pre-match press conference, Flick responded to a question about Hamza Abdul Karim’s availability to play against Elche, saying: “Hamza has delivered an excellent performance during the pre-season preparations.”

He added: “He is a direct striker, young, and possesses great potential. He has scored goals, which is what matters when playing in that position. He has done a great job.”