Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Benfica within the UEFA Champions League Spherical of 16 earlier this week could effectively go down because the membership’s single-most essential efficiency within the competitors shortly.
Going a person down in simply the twenty second minute, the Catalans confirmed nerves of metal to maintain their calm and maintain off the hosts whereas Raphinha’s wonder-goal led them to a well-known win away from house.
Earlier than the reverse fixture at Montjuic subsequent week, nevertheless, Barcelona should first fend off competitors in La Liga from Osasuna who threaten to remove three factors from them for the second time this season.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Osasuna.
Key gamers to relaxation
Having performed towards Benfica solely on Wednesday night time, Barcelona wouldn’t have lengthy earlier than their weekend’s conflict towards Osasuna kicks off at Montjuic.
To name the sport in Lisbon to be draining out could be an understatement. The win is price its weight in gold, however it’s clear that enjoying with ten males for 70-odd minutes left the gamers winded.
Each participant who began towards Benfica ran the additional mile and accomplished the sport exhausted past limits, and it’s clear that will probably be a precedence to relaxation such gamers forward of the second leg subsequent week.
All indicators thus level to proper from in defence. With Pau Cubarsi suspended for the second leg, he’ll begin towards Osasuna and there are talks of Eric Garcia beginning alongside him to relaxation Inigo Martinez and Ronald Araujo.
Alejandro Balde, who suffered a slight health setback midweek, skilled usually immediately and will probably be accessible towards Osasuna however the supervisor would possibly want to err on the facet of warning and begin .
The midfield, who ran probably the most in Lisbon, requires relaxation greater than another division and Pedri could be the primary participant to warrant the rotation. Given the riches in his arsenal, Flick may look to play a trio of Fermin Lopez, Gavi, and Marc Casado on the night time.
In assault, all indicators level to Raphinha and Lamine Yamal beginning though the division can be the least predictable place on the sphere.
Time for an Olmo re-run?
Barcelona have been on a goalscoring spree in current weeks and 2025 has largely gone their approach. The current win over Benfica was merely the cherry on the cake.
Osasuna, nevertheless, pose a very new menace to Barcelona as they are going to be vastly completely different from most opponents the Catalans have confronted in current weeks.
As relayed earlier immediately, the Pamplona-based facet are to comprise Barcelona’s assaults and can look to capitalize on the counter to create their possibilities.
Utilising a system to counter the low-block, thus, will probably be key if the Blaugrana are to take three factors and Dani Olmo could effectively maintain the important thing.
Regardless of beginning towards Benfica midweek, the Spaniard was hooked off at simply the 20-minute mark after Pau Cubarsi’s pink card and ought to be contemporary sufficient to begin tomorrow along with the Champions League second leg subsequent week.
Flick has experimented with Olmo as a false 9 earlier this season and the system labored wonders in demolishing a low block. With Robert Lewandowski more likely to be rested, enjoying the Spaniard because the false 9 might be a wanted masterstroke.
Olmo’s skill to drop again, draw defenders, and open up areas will give the likes of Raphinha, Fermin, and Yamal area to run into and will probably be attention-grabbing to see if the coach offers the concept a critical thought.
A lesson that have to be discovered
Barcelona’s first sport towards Osasuna this season was the ninth on their calendar. Having bought off to a flying begin, Hansi Flick thus noticed it to be the optimum likelihood to relaxation his common begins and deploy a second-string lineup.
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Marc Casado, Inigo Martinez, and Alejandro Balde all began on the bench on the night time and what adopted was an absolute demolition of the Catalans as they went on to lose 4-2.
Flick got here underneath fireplace for his resolution to underestimate Osasuna and thus recorded his first home defeat with Barcelona just because he opted to over-rotate towards a top quality opposition.
Tomorrow, he as soon as once more faces an actual have to shuffle his playing cards towards the identical opposition and will probably be key that he doesn’t repeat his mistake of going overboard.
So much has certainly modified for the reason that final time Barcelona confronted Osasuna with the most important distinction being that substitute gamers at the moment are stepping up and delivering on a stage beforehand not anticipated of them.
Going for a dangerous lineup, thus, could also be warranted however will probably be key that Osasuna have to harm Barcelona’s fashion of play and weighs out the professionals and cons of his lineup choices earlier than the sport.