Barca's center-forward dilemma continues; Raphinha may play No. 9 in La Liga opener

According to Sport, Barcelona will begin their title defense at the Martínez Valero Stadium against Elche. The biggest question for Hansi Flick ahead of his first official starting lineup of the 2026/27 season is who will play as the “number 9.” The German coach tried various attacking options during preseason and must now make a decision.

Hamza Abdulkarim started all the warm-up matches except the trip to Basel. Raphinha played as the "number 9" against the Swiss team but moved to the wing in the Gamper Trophy. Oscar Gistau (Birmingham), Shayne Kluivert (Udinese), and Antony Gordon (Al Ahly) also had playing time as central forwards. One thing all five matches had in common: Karim Adeyemi, who has been training under Flick since July 24 and reported just before the team traveled to England for training, has not played in this position until now.

Against this backdrop—with Gistau and Shayne Kluivert both currently training with the reserves—Barça is about to make its league debut with three prominent options in the squad, as well as some surprising alternatives.

When the Brazilian player first joined Barça, he played as a right winger. A few years later, he flourished on the left wing, with Xavi first placing him there and Flick later continuing with the arrangement. Now, depending on how the transfer market concludes, he might move to center forward. If Julián Álvarez does not join and Deco opts for a promising young talent rather than an established player as a Plan B, the captain might take on a new role in the team.

Judging from Flick’s previous arrangements, although he again deployed Raphinha on the left in the Gamper Trophy, it would be reasonable to use him as the “number 9” against Elche. In this scenario, Antony Gordon would come in as a winger, while the possibility of Adeyemi playing cannot be ruled out. Adeyemi has played almost exclusively on the right since joining Barcelona, but Lamine Yamal’s presence in that position could prevent him from featuring. Of the aforementioned players, the German is currently the most prepared to play.

When Barcelona signed the English player, his versatility in attack was one of the key factors highlighted. Like Raphinha, Gordon's natural position is left winger. However, Gordon has much more experience as a central forward. He previously participated in the World Cup with England and reached the semifinals, so he started preseason training very late. Nevertheless, he already had playing time as a central forward in the Gamper Trophy. He performed well and even won a penalty, which was ultimately missed.

If Flick deploys the British player as a central forward, then, barring any surprises, the two attackers alongside him will be Lamine Yamal (right) and Raphinha (left). They are the only two remaining members of the trident, as Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres both left this summer.

It would be irresponsible not to consider the player who scored 4 goals in preseason and became the team's top scorer ahead of its league debut. The Barcelona coach has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to trust young players, and the Egyptian has responded to those opportunities with excellent preseason performances. He started as Barcelona's central forward in all but one warm-up match and has clearly shown through his performances that he is ready for the challenge.

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