Hansi Flick’s Barcelona experiment ran into a stubborn Birmingham side on the road, settling for a 2-2 draw in a preseason friendly that offered more questions than answers. With a lineup built largely from squad players rather than first-team regulars, the night belonged to two names: a two-goal display from Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim and the long-awaited debut of Karim Adeyemi.
Here’s how the match unfolded — and what it means for Flick’s squad heading into the new campaign.
How the Match Played Out
The hosts drew first blood after half an hour. In the 30th minute, August Priske rose highest from the penalty spot to meet a cross and powered home a header, putting Birmingham 1-0 up and sending the home crowd into early celebration.
Barcelona didn’t take long to respond. Just before the interval, in the 40th minute, Hamza Abdelkarim was brought down inside the box. The Egyptian striker dusted himself off and stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, leveling the score at 1-1 and settling any early nerves.
The final stretch of the first half nearly swung back toward the hosts. Japan’s Tomoki Iwata connected with a fierce header that looked destined for the net, but Wojciech Szczęsny produced a superb save to preserve the deadlock at the break.
Barcelona Take Control After the Restart
The second half saw Flick’s side seize the initiative, helped considerably by the introduction of Marc Casadó, who brought more control to the midfield.
The reward came in the 60th minute. Roony Bardghji unleashed a long-range effort that the Birmingham goalkeeper couldn’t hold, and the rebound fell kindly. Abdelkarim, alert and perfectly positioned, pounced to bundle the ball home for 2-1 — and his second of the night.
With the lead in hand, Flick used the opportunity to shuffle his pack, bringing on the majority of his young prospects to hand out valuable minutes. It was a sensible move for a friendly, but it also loosened Barcelona’s grip on proceedings.
Birmingham Snatch a Late Equalizer
That reshuffle came at a cost. In the 67th minute, Birmingham found their way back into the match through a set piece — an area that had troubled Barcelona all evening. Jhon Elmer Solís rose to meet it and headed home, notching the game’s second header from a dead-ball situation to make it 2-2.
The equalizer sparked jubilant scenes among the home supporters, and the scoreline held firm through to the final whistle.
Adeyemi’s Debut: Flashes Without Fireworks
For many Barcelona fans, the main draw was the debut of new signing Karim Adeyemi, and the verdict was decidedly mixed.
The former Borussia Dortmund forward featured for 45 minutes in his first outing in the famous blaugrana colors. There were glimpses of the searing pace that made his reputation in the Bundesliga, but he never quite found his rhythm within the flow of the game. It was, by most measures, a low-key introduction — understandable for a player still settling in, but hardly the explosive debut some had hoped for.
Abdelkarim Steals the Spotlight
If Adeyemi’s night was muted, Hamza Abdelkarim’s was anything but. The Egyptian international’s brace was comfortably the best news of the evening for Flick.
His two-goal showing hinted that he could develop into a genuine option off the bench — a timely thought for a Barcelona side still hunting for a center-forward in the transfer market. With Robert Lewandowski departed and uncertainty swirling around the future of Ferran Torres, the club’s need for firepower up top is real, and Abdelkarim’s performance offered at least a flicker of an internal solution.
A Familiar Face in the Stands
Among the day’s talking points was the presence of Jude Bellingham watching from the stands. The England midfielder came through the ranks at Birmingham City, a club so proud of his rise that it retired the number 22 shirt in tribute to his time there. His appearance added a touch of star quality to the occasion and a reminder of the pathway that launched one of the game’s brightest talents.
The Verdict on Penalties
With the friendly locked at 2-2 after regulation, the trophy was decided from the spot. In the shootout, it was the English hosts who held their nerve and proved the more clinical of the two sides, ultimately lifting the silverware on home turf.
The Bottom Line
For Flick, this was less about the result and more about the process. A largely rotated lineup meant plenty of youngsters got meaningful minutes, Adeyemi got his first taste of Barcelona football, and Abdelkarim staked a genuine claim for attention. The 2-2 draw and penalty defeat won’t cause any lasting concern in preseason — but the set-piece frailties and the ongoing search for a striker are storylines that will follow Barcelona well beyond this friendly.