Barcelona’s pre-season tour of Asia in numbers – 15 goals, 10 scorers | OneFootball

Barcelona brought their pre-season campaign to a close with a stunning 5-0 win over South Korean side Daegu FC, ending their Asia tour with confidence and momentum.

Across the three games, the team scored an impressive 15 goals, beating Vissel Kobe 3-1, FC Seoul 7-3, and Daegu 5-0.

While the results themselves don’t count for points, they offered valuable clues about who Hansi Flick sees as important in his first season in charge.

The tour showcased some standout performances, but more importantly, it gave insight into Flick’s tactical approach, how he wants his team to play, and the players he trusts.

Clear signs of Flick’s core group

From the start, it was evident that Flick had a plan. He gave all fit players some minutes while managing workloads carefully to avoid injuries.

Lamine Yamal will be key next season as well. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

Interestingly, no player was on the pitch for more than half of the total match time across the three friendlies, showing a well-thought-out rotation strategy. This allowed for freshness while still testing combinations.

A handful of players, however, were consistently trusted to start. Joan Garcia, Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha started in all three matches. Their inclusion in every starting XI hints that they are key figures for the upcoming season.

On the flip side, several players missed out due to injuries or minor discomfort. Inigo Martinez missed two games, while Fermin Lopez, Ferran Torres, and Eric Garcia were each sidelined for one.

Marc Bernal is still recovering from a serious injury and has not received medical clearance to return.

Meanwhile, Inaki Pena was excluded as he is expected to leave the club soon, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remained in Barcelona to continue his recovery.

15 goals shared among 10 players

Gavi was Barcelona’s top scorer. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

The most promising sign from the pre-season tour was the variety of goal scorers. Barcelona’s 15 goals were spread across 10 players, showing both attacking depth and versatility.

Gavi led the chart with 3 goals, followed by Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres, who all found the net twice.

Other scorers included Marcus Rashford, Toni Fernandez, Eric Garcia, Roony Bardghji, Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez, and Andreas Christensen, all with one goal each.

This spread of goals shows that Barcelona are not relying on just one or two players to deliver.

Instead, multiple players are stepping up, which is vital for a team aiming to compete across multiple competitions this season.

Distribution of minutes

Pedri was among the most-used players. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

In terms of minutes played, several players clocked up 135 minutes across the three matches.

These include Garcia, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Balde, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Marc Casado, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and Lewandowski.

Among the players who were part of the travelling squad and fully fit, only Pena didn’t get any playing time, again reinforcing that his departure is likely imminent.

With the pre-season now over, Hansi Flick appears to be forming the base of his squad. Young talents are stepping up, the veterans are contributing, and the team looks sharper and more balanced.

The real test begins when the competitive games start, but for now, Barcelona fans have every reason to be optimistic.