Elche enjoyed an excellent pre-season and backed it up with a solid performance on the opening weekend of La Liga. Barcelona, meanwhile, have gradually welcomed their World Cup players back and strengthened considerably in the transfer market. This will be Barça’s first competitive game of the new season — and the first serious test of Elche’s unbeaten summer run.
Elche
Martín Anselmi’s side went unbeaten in all five pre-season friendlies, recording two wins and three draws while scoring nine goals. They finished their preparations in style with a 4-0 victory over Ligue 1 side Toulouse in a 120-minute friendly.
That good form carried into the opening round of La Liga. Elche drew 1-1 away to Deportivo, although their performance arguably deserved more. They had 61% possession and created two big chances compared to none for their opponents. After falling behind, Elche improved considerably in the second half, found an equaliser and were denied a winner largely by five saves from the Deportivo goalkeeper.
Continuity has helped. Most of Anselmi’s starting XI already played together last season, meaning there was no need for a major tactical rebuild during the summer.
The club is still working in the transfer market. Ezequiel Ponce arrived from Houston Dynamo and made the squad for the opening game without getting onto the pitch. Over the course of the season, the Argentine should provide additional competition in attack alongside Dani Niño and Osorio. Espanyol’s Rubén Sánchez also remains an option as Elche look to strengthen at full-back.
There are still some injury concerns. Grady Diangana, who made 20 La Liga appearances for the club last season, is a doubt, as is Osorio. Santiago and Boyar remain sidelined as they continue their recoveries.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s pre-season requires a little more context. Hansi Flick rotated heavily and spent much of the summer without several of his biggest names following the World Cup.
Barça played six warm-up games, including two 45-minute friendlies, and their only defeat in regulation time came against Udinese (0-1) in one of those shortened matches.
The World Cup players returned gradually. Gavi resumed training on August 6, Jules Koundé on August 11, while Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí and Dani Olmo returned on August 12.
That makes Barcelona’s final two friendlies much more useful when judging their current level. They beat Basel 5-2 before defeating Al-Ahli 2-1, controlling the latter game comfortably until Flick made a wave of substitutions. Yamal has already received significant minutes and Pedri is back on the pitch, so the squad is beginning to look much more familiar.
The biggest question is how long Flick is prepared to use his key players. Some may still have their minutes managed after a demanding summer.
Barcelona were also extremely active in the transfer market.
Marcus Rashford returned to his parent club after his loan spell, with Anthony Gordon arriving for €80 million to strengthen the left side of the attack. Ansu Fati left the club, while Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo joined Ajax and Liverpool on loan respectively. Ferran Torres, fresh from a historic World Cup campaign, moved to PSG for around €50 million.
Karim Adeyemi was another major addition and has already opened his Barça account by scoring against Basel. The youngsters also made their mark during pre-season: Bisivu scored twice against the Swiss side, while Abdelkarim found the net in three different summer games.
And Barcelona were not finished there.
João Cancelo signed a contract until 2029, while the headline deal was the arrival of Rodri. Barça effectively beat Real Madrid to one of the biggest names on the market after Madrid had also held talks with the midfielder.
However, Rodri is unlikely to feature against Elche following recent back surgery. Frenkie de Jong is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury, while Roony Bardghji faces a lengthy absence after suffering an ACL tear.
Elche vs Barcelona Prediction
Barcelona are not arriving for their opening league game in perfect condition. Several important players only recently returned from the World Cup, Flick has had limited time with his full squad and some of the starters may not yet be ready for 90 minutes.
But the difference in individual quality and squad depth is still enormous.
Yamal and Pedri are getting closer to full fitness, while the additions of Adeyemi and Gordon give Flick even more options in an already dangerous attack. The final friendlies also suggested Barça are moving in the right direction: five goals against Basel and a convincing performance against Al-Ahli, despite the narrow 2-1 scoreline and a missed late penalty.
The recent head-to-head record is another strong argument for the visitors. Barcelona have won each of their last four meetings with Elche by at least two goals.
Elche should make them work for it, particularly after such a positive summer, but over 90 minutes Barça simply have too many ways to hurt them.
Main prediction: Barcelona -1.5 — 1.93
Goals Prediction
Elche have yet to lose this summer or during the new La Liga season and have consistently found ways to score. They managed nine goals across five pre-season matches before getting on the scoresheet away to Deportivo in the opening round.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are still bringing their World Cup players back up to speed. That could make them vulnerable defensively, particularly with Flick's team likely to play aggressively and leave space behind.
There are far fewer concerns at the other end of the pitch.
Yamal, Raphinha, Adeyemi, Olmo, Gordon and Fermín give Flick a huge number of attacking combinations. Even if some of the starters have their minutes limited, Barcelona can introduce serious quality from the bench.
Elche have enough confidence and attacking form to create chances of their own. Keeping Barça quiet for the entire game looks like the much more difficult part.
Goals prediction: Both teams to score — Yes at 1.69
Main bet: Barcelona -1.5 — 1.93
Goals bet: Both teams to score — Yes at 1.69
Published by Patrick Jane
23.08.2026