Barça rolls past Europa 4–1 as Flick’s new era begins with fresh faces and a long‑awaited Ter Stegen return

Barça and CE Europa — two historic pillars of Catalan soccer — met again nearly three decades after their last clash.

Back in 1998, Europa won the Catalonia Cup final on penalties, with a young José Mourinho sitting on the Barça bench. Fate has a sense of humor. Twenty‑eight years later, Barça got its payback with a convincing 4–1 win thanks to goals from Ibrahim Diarra, Héctor Fort, Ebrima Tunkara, and Álex González.

A first test full of new faces

Hansi Flick’s debut lineup looked nothing like what we’ll see on opening day. His XI was packed with academy talent and summer additions:

Despite the lack of first‑team regulars, Barça took control quickly. Diarra opened the scoring around the 15‑minute mark, and Fort doubled the lead soon after. Europa managed to pull one back before halftime through Flavio André, but that was as close as they’d get.

Tunkara shines; Ter Stegen returns

Right after the break, Ebrima Tunkara — one of the standout performers — made it 3–1. The second half also delivered one of the day’s biggest surprises: Marc‑André ter Stegen returned to action. The German keeper replaced Szczesny and wore the Barça jersey again after months on the sidelines.

Flick also sent on Casadó, Álex González, Xavi Espart, Toni Fernández, and Marqués. In the closing minutes, Álex González sealed the 4–1 scoreline.

Who’s up next for Barça?

This match officially kicks off Barça’s preseason ahead of their La Liga opener on August 23, when they face Elche. The team heads to England this Sunday for a training camp, and their next friendly comes on July 31, when they take on Birmingham City on British soil.

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