Barcelona return to motion with an early kickoff on Saturday and can proceed to play at their fortress, the Spotify Camp Nou.
With the high-stakes Copa del Rey semifinal towards Atletico Madrid simply across the nook, it’s excessive time the Catalans amp up their preparation and get again into their free-flowing goalscoring type.
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They may have a chance to do the identical after they tomorrow night, one of many groups above Atletico Madrid within the league standings.
The final time Barcelona and Villarreal confronted off in La Liga was just below two months in the past, when the Catalans got here out on high with a 2-0 win, albeit after the opponents had been decreased to 10 males after simply 35 minutes.
This time, the stress shall be larger and can thus arrange for a high-intensity face-off. Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Villarreal.
One in, one out
Simply when Barcelona had been celebrating the return of Pedri from damage, they’ve been hit with the information of Frenkie de Jong’s setback, which isn’t a minor one by any means.
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The Dutchman, who has been essential for the staff to date this season, has been dominated out with a blow to his hamstring and is ready to overlook over a month together with his damage.
Evidently, it comes as an enormous blow to Hansi Flick’s plans, because the supervisor would have hoped to have each Pedri and De Jong accessible for the essential video games arising throughout all competitions.
After coming off the bench within the earlier recreation, Pedri is predicted to start out towards Villarreal, and the large query for Flick revolves round who he sees as match to start out alongside the Canary Islander.
Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez are essentially the most distinguished choices for the supervisor to contemplate, however there’s additionally probability that Flick opts for Marc Bernal to associate Pedri within the defensive midfield for higher stability.
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Evidently, his choice and the efficiency of the midfield in De Jong’s absence tomorrow shall be essential in deciding how the staff’s month progresses. In spite of everything, there are far greater video games to come back with the identical squad scenario.
A particular mark for a particular coach
Flick will attain his one centesimal match accountable for Barcelona. (Picture by Judit Cartiel/Getty Photographs)
Except for all the strain within the league title race, Barcelona’s questionable defensive document and comparatively poor type in current video games, Hansi Flick is nearing a particular milestone that shall be a memorable one by way of his stint in Catalonia.
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Barcelona’s assembly with Villarreal tomorrow, in spite of everything, would be the supervisor’s one centesimal recreation accountable for the first-team, serving to him attain a particular milestone in his managerial profession.
In his 99 video games as far as the first-team coach, Flick has delivered 74 wins and has dropped factors solely on 25 events, already taking him above a number of high managers within the membership’s historical past.
Notably, even Pep Guardiola had simply 71 wins on the identical stage of his managerial stint on the membership, and Flick is the third-best of all of Barcelona’s previous managers on the present stage.
As he heads into his one centesimal recreation because the first-team coach, the Catalans will look handy the supervisor a memorable end result for him to reminisce about ceaselessly, particularly given how united the dressing room has been beneath him.
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It’s, in spite of everything, clear that the dressing room holds excessive regard for the German tactician, and they’re going to come out all weapons blazing towards an advanced opposition to take all three factors in convincing trend.
A significant left-back determination
Alejandro Balde has been Barcelona’s de facto left-back choice for a very long time now, a lot in order that he has been thought of an undisputed starter in his place on any large evening.
Hansi Flick, nonetheless, has made a robust assertion towards the Spaniard’s stronghold within the staff in current video games, and issues not seem as beneficial for the defender.
After the 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, wherein Balde was horrendous, Flick began him on the bench towards Girona, regardless of the staff having an inexpensive break day. He solely got here on for the ultimate 27 minutes with Gerard Martin beginning in his place.
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In the newest outing towards Levante, the coach handed Joao Cancelo the beginning rather than Balde as soon as extra. This time, nonetheless, the Spanish star didn’t even come off the bench, and Cancelo recorded considered one of his finest halves in a Barcelona shirt.
It’s, thus, excessive time that one begins to query Balde’s place as an undisputed starter for Barcelona and whether or not Cancelo could also be a greater attacking choice for Flick’s plans. In spite of everything, what he produced final weekend was actually particular.
Concurrently, nonetheless, it’s well-known that even the Portuguese star comes together with his personal set of defensive issues. So, the supervisor should weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each choices.
Whether or not he begins Balde on the bench for a 3rd straight recreation tomorrow or rewards Cancelo for his nice present towards Levante stays to be seen.