FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (L) and Munir El Haddadi. (Photo : Getty Images)
Back-to-back La Liga champions FC Barcelona will meet last season's 10th-placed squad Real Betis in a match scheduled at the Camp Nou this Saturday, August 20 to open their respective 2016-2017 La Liga season campaigns.
Barcelona had been busy during the preseason participating in the 2016 International Champions Cup where the team had a 2-1 win-loss record competing against the likes of Scottish Premiership club Celtic FC, Premier League champions Leicester City, and English side Liverpool.
Barça was stunned by Liverpool in their friendly match, 0-4, which was the only loss experienced by head coach Luis Enrique's side this summer so far.
The Catalonia giants then went on to win the Joan Gamper trophy against Udinese, 2-0, on Aug. 10 before taking a 2-0 on aggregate lead over Sevilla in the first leg of their Supercopa de España meeting on Sunday, SkySports reported.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are still as sharp as ever leading the Catalans during the preseason, which is a huge bonus for the fans who would like to see them perform on the pitch in person.
Neymar is still with the Brazil team competing in the ongoing Rio Olympics as Munir El Haddadi and Arda Turan take turns filling in for his spot in Coach Enrique's front three.
The team added striker Cristian Tello from Fiorentina, midfielders Andre Gomes and Denis Suárez from Valencia and Villarreal respectively, and defenders Lucas Digne and Samuel Umtiti from French clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyon.
Team captain Andres Iniesta (knee) and defender Jeremy Mathieu (hamstring) are out with injuries and newcomers Suárez and Digne expected to take their place in the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Real Betis is coming off a 0-3 loss to Ligue 1 club Montpellier HSC at the Stade de la Mosson on Aug. 6 for their final friendly before opening the new season, as per Soccerway.
Manager Gus Poyet is still in charge for his first full season with the squad following his hiring late last season to replace sacked head coach Pepe Mel.
Some of the team's notable new signings this summer are goalkeeper Manu Herrera from Zaragoza, midfielders Matías Nahuel and Jonas Martin from Villarreal and Montpellier, and striker Antonio Sanabria from AS Roma.
The predicted result is a 3-1 victory for Barcelona.
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Bravo; Roberto, Pique, Mascherano, Digne; Rakitic, Busquets, D. Suárez; Messi, L. Suárez, Munir
Real Betis starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Gimenez; Martinez, Pezzella, Gonzalez, Vargas; Joaquin, Martin, Musonda, Ceballos; Sanabria, Castro
