Barcelona begin their defence of the LaLiga title away to Elche – but the hosts have no intention of being pushover. With new stars in place and tough competition from Real Madrid, the pressure is on Hansi Flick’s men from the first kick.
The masters of the New Year’s hunt
Barcelona are back where they belong – as reigning champions. But defending a title is often more difficult than winning it, and Hansi Flick’s team doesn’t get off to an easy start.
Here you can follow highlights from the match.
They face an Elche team that fought for its life last year, but was also the sixth-best home team in La Liga – with 35 of 43 points collected on their own turf. In other words: Martinez Valero is not an easy away pitch.
But Barcelona have strengthened. Anthony Gordon and Rodri are among the new faces, and Flick knows that three points are a must – especially after arch-rivals Real Madrid already started with a win under Jose Mourinho.
This is how the teams line up
Elche (XI): Dituro – Singer, Affengruber, Redondo, Chust – Valera, Aguado, G. Villa – Morente, Ali Houary, Fer Nino
Barcelona (XI): Joan Garcia – Garcia, Christensen, Martin, Espart – Bernal, Gavi, Fermin Lopez – Raphinha, Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal
The statistics favour Barcelona – but…
The history is good reading for the Blaugrana:
- Five straight wins against Elche – all the last meetings.
- Goal difference: 13-2 to Barcelona.
- The last time they met, Barcelona won 3-1 on this very pitch (31 January 2026).
But last year’s Elche was a completely different team at home. They beat both Atlético and Sevilla on Martinez Valero – and with a crowd support that can lift any team, they are capable of surprising.
Barcelona scored 95 goals in last season’s championship campaign – but can they deliver from day one?
How to watch the match
The match will be played on Sunday 23 August with kick-off at 20:30 BST (Norwegian time: 21:30). The broadcast is given on Premier Sports and La Liga TV.
Our verdict
Barcelona are favourites – but Elche are hungry. With home record indicating that they are difficult to beat, this could be more exciting than the table suggests. The question is whether Barcelona’s new stars deliver from the first minute – or whether the hosts can pull off the first shock of the season.
