Oh dear, Barcelona! Catalan giants thumped 3-0 by Monaco in Joan Gamper Trophy, leaving Hansi Flick with huge problems to solve just days before La Liga season begins

Barcelona's final preparations for the new La Liga season did not exactly go to plan.

While the Joan Gamper Trophy offered plenty of opportunities for Hansi Flick to rotate - which he did - this was a pedestrian performance, and Monaco were comfortable throughout, as they earned a 3-0 win.

All three goals came in the second half, as Mohamed Camara first robbed youngster Marc Bernal on the edge of the box and finished coolly, before a quick-fire move ended with Takumi Minamino finding Breel Embolo, who converted from close-range.

And with just four minutes remaining, Monaco worked the ball across the box and Christian Mawissa curled a lovely finish into the bottom corner.

This was a run-out for Barca, of course, but they are less than a week away from playing Valencia in their La Liga opener. Improvement is required.

Lamine Yamal is quite clearly Barcelona's next great hope. He may not have had the impact of scoring or assisting, but the roar that accompanied his late introduction was evidence of the esteem Barca fans hold the teenager in. If he can perform this season like he did at Euro 2024, Barca will be in for a treat.

Barcelona's defence was carved open twice. First, Inigo Martinez failed to play out from defence properly and Mohamed Camara pounced, before finishing. Secondly, a rapid-fire move, featuring multiple one-touch passes, ended with a superb finish from Breel Embolo, giving Monaco a 2-0 lead. The third was even more embarrassing, a cross being allowed to bounce in the box and finding Mawissa, who had all the time in his world to finish. This backline is not ready for the new season.

Barcelona play Valencia on August 17 as they begin their La Liga campaign. Of course, in 2023/24, they finished 10 points behind Real Madrid in second, and will be out to reclaim the title this term.