FC Barcelona ramped up preparations for their La Liga clash against Athletic Club on Saturday, November 22, 2025, with their second training session of the week at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
The session on pitch 2 saw Marcus Rashford, Marc Bernal, and Jules Kounde returning after international duty, and it felt like the squad finally started to get back into its rhythm. After their session, they also took time out to model and roll out the team’s official fourth kit.
Most of the first-team players were involved, with Raphinha and Álex Casadó continuing their slow reintegration into full group training after joining in the previous session.
Some of the youth players, Eder Aller, Jofre, Tommy Marqués, Dro, Guillem Víctor, and Toni Fernández, joined in as well, giving glimpses of energy and unpredictability that can sometimes surprise in training drills. It looked like the young ones were enjoying every minute out there, and you could see the smiles when Rashford was passing through.
Softfootball understands that the timing couldn’t have been better for Barcelona. The Athletic Club game will be played at the partially reopened Spotify Camp Nou, which now can hold 45,401 fans after Phase 1B approval. Having supporters back, even partially, seemed to lift the spirits of the squad.
Rashford, who had joined Barça on loan from Manchester United in July 2025, had already made himself a fan favorite with his energy and pace. He was pushing himself hard in drills, clearly eager to make an impact when the matchday comes.
Bernal and Kounde, on the other hand, were more focused on organisation and stability, doing repeated passing exercises and defensive setups. It felt like the team was slowly knitting itself back together after a busy international break. Kounde was even part of the winning team in training, as revealed via the team’s official X account.
They posted:
The mix of returning stars and academy players might just be the perfect formula for Hansi Flick to test before Saturday.
With the squad buzzing and the fans returning to Camp Nou, Barcelona looks ready to make their first home appearance of the season a memorable one. The energy is palpable, and the team seems hungry to put on a show.
