Flick names Raphinha to lead Barcelona attack at Elche

Hansi Flick has made his first major attacking decision of Barcelona’s new La Liga season, selecting Raphinha to start as the central striker for the trip to Elche. With Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres no longer at the club, the choice of who would lead the line had become one of the main talking points before kick-off.

Raphinha gets the nod up front

Barcelona enter the campaign with a different look in attack, and Flick has moved quickly to define his preferred option for the opening match. Raphinha will start through the middle, supported by Lamine Yamal and Karim Adeyemi in the forward line.

That call carries extra weight because the centre-forward role had been closely associated with Lewandowski in recent seasons. Flick’s selection now offers the clearest indication yet of how Barcelona may begin this next phase.

Barcelona start later than their rivals

Barcelona are the last of Spain’s leading sides to begin their league season. The delayed start is linked to the presence in the squad of players who were involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, with semi-finalists and finalists entitled to a three-week rest period after the tournament.

That context has shaped the build-up to the opening fixture, which comes away to Elche. The home side began their own league campaign with a draw against newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna.

Midfield and defence confirmed

Flick has also settled on a midfield trio made up entirely of Spanish players. Fermin Lopez, Marc Bernal and Gavi are set to start in the centre of the pitch as Barcelona look to establish control in their first league outing of the season.

In defence, Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin and Xavi Espart have been chosen to form the back line. Behind them, Joan Garcia starts in goal.

Szczesny among the substitutes

Wojciech Szczesny begins the match on the bench and is the alternative to Joan Garcia if needed. His inclusion among the substitutes adds another point of interest to Barcelona’s team news, but the headline decision is clearly further forward, where Flick has entrusted Raphinha with the central role.

• Raphinha starts as Barcelona’s central striker
• Lamine Yamal and Karim Adeyemi support him in attack
• Joan Garcia starts in goal
• Wojciech Szczesny is on the bench

For Barcelona, this is more than just the first game of a new league season. It is also the beginning of a new attacking setup, and Flick’s selection at Elche offers the first concrete sign of how he intends to move on from the Lewandowski era.