Barcelona is wrapping up their pre-season preparations with a highly anticipated match against Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy, set for Monday night as the 2024/25 La Liga season approaches.
Barcelona’s summer started with just nine senior players at Hansi Flick’s disposal, making it seem like a daunting task ahead.
However, the club’s reliance on La Masia graduates paid off, resulting in a highly successful pre-season tour in the United States.
The Catalan giants kicked off their tour with a morale-boosting victory over Real Madrid in a Clasico clash overseas and followed it up with draws against Manchester City and Milan, maintaining an unbeaten record throughout their stay in the US.
Now, they’ve returned home for the final pre-season test at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys before opening their La Liga campaign away at Valencia on August 17.
Monaco, chosen only in July as Barcelona’s opponents for this prestigious annual fixture, are aiming to make history by becoming the first team since Sampdoria 12 years ago to defeat Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
The French club had an impressive 2023/24 season, finishing as runners-up in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain, and have been active in the transfer market to build on that success.
The game is scheduled to kick off on Monday, August 12, at 19:00 BST, 16:00 ET / 13:00 PT.
The match will be held at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, a venue that has seen many thrilling encounters.
Head-to-head and current form
Historically, Barcelona and Monaco have faced off sparingly, with Barca winning both of their previous encounters. Their last meeting was in the 1994 UEFA Champions League, where Barcelona narrowly edged out Monaco 1-0.
Barcelona: 2 wins
Monaco: 0 wins
Draws: 0
In terms of recent form, Barcelona has been solid, with their last pre-season outing ending in a 2-2 draw against Milan.
They also notched a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid earlier in the tour. Meanwhile, Monaco’s pre-season has been a mixed bag; their most recent result was a 2-1 loss to Genoa, although they had previously secured a 2-0 win against Club NXT and a 3-1 victory over Feyenoord.
How to watch
Unfortunately, this year’s Joan Gamper Trophy match between Barcelona and Monaco will not be broadcast on television in the United Kingdom, the United States, or Canada.
Team news and predicted lineups
For Barcelona, Flick leaned heavily on La Masia’s rising stars during the US tour but will likely have most of his senior squad available for Monday’s match.
Key players like Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Ronald Araujo are still sidelined due to injuries.
However, there’s hope that Lamine Yamal might return after an extended break, and Ferran Torres should also be available. Fermin Lopez, who starred for Spain at the Olympics, will likely be rested ahead of the La Liga opener.
Barcelona’s predicted lineup; 4-2-3-1,Ter Stegen; Kounde, Christensen, Martinez, Balde; Bernal, Casado; Raphinha, Gundogan, Victor; Lewandowski.
On the other hand, Monaco, under Adi Hutter, are unlikely to make significant changes from the side that played against Genoa.
Thilo Kehrer and Mohammed Salisu, former Premier League defenders, could feature, although Youssouf Fofana’s participation is in doubt due to ongoing transfer speculation.
Mamadou Coulibaly is out with a long-term knee injury. The forward duo of Breel Embolo and Folarin Balogun, who played together in the Genoa game, is expected to lead the attack once more.
Monaco’s predicted lineup; 3-4-1-2, Kohn; Singo, Kehrer, Salisu; Vanderson, Camara, Zakaria, Ouattara; Minamino; Embolo, Balogun.
Score prediction
Monaco’s dynamic and vertical playstyle, honed under Hutter, makes them a formidable opponent, capable of posing challenges to any side.
Nevertheless, Barcelona has a strong record in the Joan Gamper Trophy, having not lost this fixture since 2012.
With Flick’s squad still missing key players, the match could be competitive, but history and home advantage favor Barcelona to secure a win on Monday night.
