Flick Stacks the Deck to Outsmart a Cup Upset: Barcelona Ready for Albacete
3 February 2026
Match Preview
The German coach warned against Cup surprises.
Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s coach, named his full squad for the Albacete game today, in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal.
Barça arrive after beating Guadalajara and Racing Santander by 2–0 in earlier rounds.
Albacete have been the season’s biggest surprise, eliminating Real Madrid in a dramatic 16th‑round exit and beating Celta Vigo, Leganés, and San Fernando.
As a result, the German coach recalled every available player, leaving Barça with the injured quartet (Raphinha, Christensen, Gavi, Pedri).
The squad for Albacete is complete, as follows:
Lineups
Goalkeepers: Garcia, Szczesny, Koshin.
Defenders: Cancelo, Balde, Araujo, Kouassi, Gerard Martin, Conde, Eric Garcia.
Midfielders: Fermín Lopez, Casado, Olmo, De Jong, Bernal, Tom Márquez.
Forwards: Ferran Torres, Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Rashford, Roni Bardji.
Punchline 1: If strategy were a spray, Flick just emptied the can.
Punchline 2: Don’t worry, the trophy is used to facing finales with snacks.
