"The new Salah shines in the Barcelona jersey."

The young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim opened his scoring record with the first team of FC Barcelona after scoring two goals in the Catalan team's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City in a friendly match on Friday evening, before the English team won the encounter in a penalty shootout (3-2).

Abdel Karim (18 years old) is having an exceptional summer after officially joining Barcelona from Al Ahly SC following a successful loan period, signing a contract that extends until the summer of 2029. He also made his presence felt with the Egyptian national team in the recent World Cup finals.

During his loan period last season, the Egyptian striker played 11 matches with Barcelona's under-19 team, scoring six goals and contributing to his team's league title victory, before getting the opportunity to join the first team during the preparation for the new season.

Hamza Abdel Karim is considered one of the most promising talents in Egyptian and African football, with many referring to him as the "new Salah," indicating the great hopes placed on him and the similarities between his early career and that of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who he played alongside in the Egyptian national team during the World Cup finals.

The young striker came on as a substitute in four matches during the World Cup and previously stated that Salah was keen to support him from day one within the national team, adding: "I try to learn from him as much as possible; he has had a legendary career, and playing alongside him was a dream come true."

For his part, German coach Hansi Flick praised the player's performance after the friendly match, saying: "Hamza has very special abilities like the other young players, but the most important thing is to prove these abilities on the pitch. Working with young talents is enjoyable for me."

Abdel Karim expressed his happiness at scoring his first goals in the first team jersey, saying: "It's a wonderful and different feeling."

The Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that the Egyptian striker gave up part of his summer vacation to participate in Barcelona's preparation period, confirming that he will receive additional opportunities during the upcoming friendly matches to prove his worth for a place in the team, despite the Catalan club's efforts to strengthen the attack with new signings.

Abdel Karim hopes to continue shining during the preparation period, aiming to secure a spot in Barcelona's squad as the Spanish league competition begins, with the team starting its journey against Elche on August 23.