Oriyen Goren Makes Senior Barcelona Debut in 2026/27 Preseason Opener

Barcelona began their 2026/27 preseason preparations on Friday with a friendly match against Europa CE at the Joan Gamper training complex. Head coach Hans Flick fielded a largely rotated squad, focusing on La Masia academy players and fringe first-team members, resting many senior stars. At the time of reporting, Barcelona led 3-1.

The lineup included Wojciech Szczesny, Andreas Christensen, Hector Fort, Gerard Martin, Gila Fernandez, Brian Parinias, Roni Bardji, Hamed Abdelkarim, and Justin Kluivert. On the bench were key players like Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Casado, and Marc Bernal. Flick’s strategy was to distribute playing time and evaluate young talent.

Israeli midfielder Oriyen Goren entered the match early in the second half, marking a significant milestone as he made his first appearance in a senior Barcelona preseason game. Alongside Goren, Marc Casado, Alex Gonzalez, Xavi Esparat, Toni Fernandez, and Tommy Marquez also came on as substitutes.

Catalan media highlighted Gila Fernandez’s strong performance in the first half and Brian Parinias’s effective midfield management. Barcelona dominated most of the game, scoring early and doubling their lead before halftime. Europa CE pulled one back, but Barcelona quickly restored a two-goal advantage early in the second half.

For Flick, the match was primarily an opportunity to assess squad depth and young prospects rather than focus on the result. Extensive rotation continued after halftime, with most substitutes expected to see playing time. Goren’s involvement is a key point of interest for Israeli football, as his performance during preseason could influence his role in Barcelona’s plans moving forward.