Barcelona vs Man City

Barcelona will kick off their 2024-25 campaign with a high-profile friendly against Premier League champions Manchester City on Tuesday evening.

This match marks Barcelona's first friendly of the summer. In contrast, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have already played twice in the United States, suffering defeats against Celtic and AC Milan.

Under new manager Hansi Flick, Barcelona are entering a new era. Flick faces immediate pressure to deliver trophies, making his tenure at Camp Nou highly anticipated. Last season, Barcelona finished second in La Liga, behind Real Madrid, and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and Copa del Rey. They closed the season with four consecutive league wins, securing their second-place finish ahead of Girona.

As part of their US Tour, Barcelona will face Manchester City, Real Madrid, and AC Milan. Flick's team will then play Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 12 before starting their La Liga season away to Valencia on August 17.

So far, Barcelona's only summer signing is Pau Victor from Girona, but more activity is expected, with Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams being a top target. Manchester City will start their new campaign against Manchester United in the Community Shield on August 10, followed by their Premier League opener against Chelsea on August 18.

Since losing the FA Cup final to Manchester United, City have played two pre-season matches, losing 4-3 to Celtic and 3-2 to Milan. They will complete their US Tour with games against Barcelona and Chelsea, with their squad likely to be strengthened by returning players for the Community Shield.

Despite winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, City fell short in the Champions League and FA Cup. This summer, their only signing is Savinho from Troyes, who is expected to play a significant role next season.

Barcelona's US Tour squad includes 31 players, featuring familiar faces like the fit-again Alejandro Balde. However, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Ansu Fati are out due to injury. Raphinha and Ilkay Gundogan will join the team on Monday, and Jules Kounde will arrive on August 1.

Flick is likely to field an experienced side against Manchester City, with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack. Pau Victor, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona B from Girona, could make his Barcelona debut, potentially starting alongside Lewandowski and Vitor Roque. Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal are still on extended breaks after helping Spain win the European Championship, while Fermin Lopez, Eric Garcia, and Pau Cubarsi are at the Olympics.

Manchester City, meanwhile, will be without several key players due to international commitments, including Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, and Jeremy Doku. Julian Alvarez, linked with a summer move, is representing Argentina at the Olympics. Goalkeeper Ederson's future is uncertain, but he is expected to start, along with Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, James McAtee, Jack Grealish, and Erling Haaland.

Barcelona possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; J Araujo, I Martinez, Christensen, Fort; Romeu, Gundogan, Torre; Roque, Lewandowski, Victor

Manchester City possible starting lineup: Ederson; Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Doyle, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Perrone; Bobb, McAtee, Grealish; Haaland