Barcelona’s journey to London midweek was not a memorable one in any sense of the phrase because the staff not solely returned having dropped three factors but additionally morally and internally damaged.
The Catalans haven’t proven something this season that means that they’ve what it takes to win huge video games, however Hansi Flick stays assured that the perfect model of the staff is but to come back.
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Their first likelihood of exhibiting that enchancment comes tomorrow night as they lock horns with Deportivo Alaves on the Spotify Camp Nou on Matchday 14 of La Liga. Now only one level off Actual Madrid, they may hope to finish the match-day even forward of them.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves.
Digesting a troublesome capsule
It’s straightforward to pin the blame for Barcelona’s defeat to Chelsea on a single participant, however the reality of the matter stays that even with eleven males on the sphere, Barcelona didn’t present sufficient to show that they may have taken all three factors.
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The Catalans lacked depth throughout the sphere, didn’t press excessive, and misplaced the midfield battle by a landslide – all of which contributed to the defence being overloaded. Not for the primary time this season, they faltered closely in a giant sport.
Hansi Flick himself admitted forward of the Alaves sport that the defeat midweek had affected the staff and that it’s a troublesome capsule to swallow, not solely as a result of they misplaced however due to the style by which they did.
Tomorrow’s main agenda, thus, might be to get again on profitable methods no matter the price. The staff will play on the Spotify Camp Nou as soon as extra, and there’ll thus be a particular environment, however it’s essential that they aren’t hung up on the midweek end result.
Hansi Flick’s mentorship will play an enormous function in that regard. Final season, Barcelona received El Clasico instantly after being knocked out of the UCL by Inter Milan, they usually should take out a web page from the identical e book tomorrow.
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One in, one out
Pedri is again. (Photograph by David Ramos/Getty Photographs)
When it comes to squad updates, not a lot modifications for Barcelona by way of the defence or attacking departments. Lots, nonetheless, has modified in midfield.
Simply days after the sport at Stamford Bridge, the staff welcomes again Pedri Gonzalez to the squad, and the Canary Islander will certainly be accessible for tomorrow’s conflict. It stays to be seen if he is able to begin, however all indicators .
Evidently, that comes as an enormous increase for Barcelona, who’re extremely reliant on his genius to progress the sport by way of the center of the park.
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Frenkie de Jong did largely nicely to fill in Pedri’s absence, however the Chelsea sport was the right instance of why the teenager is indispensable.
Concurrently, nonetheless, Barcelona face an enormous blow as they miss out on Fermin Lopez’s providers after the midfielder suffered an harm and is dominated out for 2 weeks.
The event snatches away one of many staff’s most deadly attacking presences from Hansi Flick’s plans and is a giant downside for the coach, particularly given Dani Olmo’s lukewarm kind.
How Flick manages the attacking midfield void tomorrow, thus, stays to be seen and might be essential in deciding the end result towards Alaves.
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The Raphinha issue
Raphinha returned from harm in Barcelona’s win over Athletic Membership final weekend as he got here off the bench for some sparse minutes. Towards Chelsea, his involvement was extra, and he performed over half an hour for the Blaugrana.
Because the weekend’s conflict towards Alaves approaches, Flick is confronted as as to if or to not begin Raphinha, particularly on condition that the choice has professionals and cons in both means.
Raphinha beginning can be an enormous blessing for Barcelona’s assault, urgent system, and by way of bringing his management to the sphere, one thing the staff has lacked direly. Concurrently, nonetheless, it carries the danger of a relapse given how lengthy he has been out.
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Beginning him on the bench would protect his health and make sure that his return is extra phased and gradual. Nevertheless, that may imply that Marcus Rashford begins the sport and serves a direct blow to the urgent construction.
Flick’s resolution on Raphinha’s participation will in the end come all the way down to the participant’s sensations and what the supervisor sees in coaching. It should, for sure, play a significant function in deciding the circulate of the sport.