- Barcelona beat Basel 5-2 on Sunday, with Lamine Yamal scoring in his first appearance since winning the World Cup with Spain
- Jesse Bisiwu, 18, came off the bench to score twice after joining Barcelona from Club Brugge for €8 million last month
- Barcelona will face Al Ahly in Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy before beginning their La Liga title defence at Elche on August 23
Barcelona Finish Strong in St. Jakob’s Park Friendly
Barcelona continued their pre-season preparations with a 5-2 win over Basel on Sunday at St. Jakob’s Park, in a match that featured a returning World Cup winner, several summer signings and a late flourish from the bench.
Lamine Yamal marked his first appearance since winning the World Cup with Spain by scoring Barcelona’s third goal from the penalty spot in the second half. Summer arrival Jesse Bisiwu then made a striking impression on Barcelona supporters, scoring in the 89th and 91st minute after replacing one of the starters.
Bisiwu, 18, joined the club from Club Brugge for €8 million last month and capped his display with two late goals, set up by Dani Olmo and Yamal.
Good feelings. Job done. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/AUo5G9XqEz
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 16, 2026
How the Match Unfolded
Basel, already three games into the Swiss Super League season, selected a heavily rotated side against the Spanish champions. Barcelona quickly found space to attack, with Anthony Gordon causing problems on the left wing while Raphinha played through the middle and Karim Adeyemi operated on the right.
Gordon, a €70m summer signing from Newcastle United, made his first start for Barcelona. He created chances and also missed opportunities before Adeyemi, another summer arrival, put Barca ahead in the 34th minute.
Adeyemi collected a pass from Raphinha, moved into the centre of the box with too much room and drilled his finish into the net. Basel responded before half-time, as 17-year-old Jean Doucouré equalised with a composed strike from the edge of the area.
Egypt international Hamza Abdelkarim restored Barcelona’s lead in the second half by converting a cross from Adeyemi, taking his preseason tally to three goals. Yamal then scored from the penalty spot after Jules Koundé was fouled.
Basel replied with a penalty of their own after a Brian Fariñas foul, with Kazeem Olaigbe reducing the deficit. However, that did not trigger a late comeback, as Bisiwu struck twice in the closing stages to complete the win.
Returning World Cup Winners Get Preseason Minutes
Yamal was not the only World Cup winner to feature. Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsí also received their first minutes of preseason, giving Barcelona another boost as they move towards competitive fixtures.
The match was Barcelona’s penultimate tune-up before their final friendly, Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly. After that, the club start the defence of their La Liga title away to Elche on August 23.
Casado’s Future Shifts Away From Saudi Arabia
While Barcelona’s squad sharpened up on the pitch, the future of Marc Casadó remained a major issue off it. Everything currently points to the midfielder leaving Barcelona before this summer’s transfer window closes.
Casadó accepts that he is set to leave but wants to choose his destination himself. The Saudi League is not especially appealing to him, as the midfielder wants to keep competing at the highest level. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has been working for weeks to move the situation forward. Several Premier League clubs are interested, and there has also been talk of Milan under Rúben Amorim, but those negotiations have not yet accelerated.
Barcelona want at least 30 million euros for Casadó, a figure that Saudi Arabia could have provided. Those options now appear to have closed. Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli both showed interest a few weeks ago, and Casadó seriously considered that possibility, but he now leans towards staying in Europe even if Barcelona receive a clearly smaller fee.
The money Barcelona have brought in across recent days has eased the pressure on the club, meaning they no longer feel the same urgency to sell. With just under 15 days left before the transfer window closes, a decision is approaching and Casadó’s exit could happen very soon.
Alvarez Pursuit Reaches Another Stage
Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reached another important phase. The player’s representatives have informed the Catalan club that a meeting involving Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin could be crucial in moving the matter forward.
Alvarez’s entourage believe direct talks between Gil Marin and the Argentine striker would be the next logical step as Barcelona continue their work on a deal for their priority attacking target.
The situation remains difficult because Atletico Madrid have already made their stance clear. Even so, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is pushing the club to keep exploring every possible route to bring the Argentine forward to Camp Nou.
Gyokeres Considered as Alternative, Rodri Agreement Reached
Barcelona could also shift part of their focus towards Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres as uncertainty continues to surround the Alvarez pursuit.
A movement is expected in the coming hours regarding Gyokeres, with Barcelona ready to explore the Swedish striker’s situation. The Arsenal forward has emerged as an alternative following Ferran Torres’ departure, although Julian Alvarez remains Barcelona’s primary target.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have struck a full agreement with Manchester City to sign Rodri. The Ballon d’Or winner is expected to sign a four-year contract. The package is €76.5m, made up of €60m fixed and above €11m of bonuses viewed as highly achievable.
