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Hansi Flick will no doubt have one eye on the visit of Atlético Madrid next Saturday, but his Barcelona team must first get the job done against Leganés on Sunday night.
Barça faces its next national duel after an important victory in the Champions League in midweek. Their 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund means that Flick’s team is practically guaranteed a place in the round of 16 of the competition.
Flick will not be on the sidelines this weekend (or the visit of Atleti) as a result of the two-match ban he received for his protests at Real Betis last weekend. However, he will continue to choose the Barça team.
This is how Barça could line up for the visit to Leganés on Sunday.
Goalkeeper: Iñaki Peña – The rate at which Barcelona’s defensive line is breaking down means that Peña rarely has a boring outing. However, the Spaniard fancy a calmer game on Sunday.
RHP: Jules Koundé – It hasn’t been a perfect season for Kounde so far, but he returned to his best on Wednesday as he dominated the threat of rising star Jamie Gittens.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – The teenager still has a lot to learn, as evidenced by his mistakes in midweek, and he may be the one to leave the team once Ronald Araujo is ready to return to the XI.
CB: Inigo Martinez – The veteran defender will hope he has done enough this season to convince Flick that he is the one who should partner Araujo in the future. The Barça captain will play his first minutes of the season on Sunday.
LB: Alejandro Balde – Balde worked hard thanks to teenager Julien Duranville at Dortmund, and it is fair to say that the Barça left-back has so far failed to return to the heights of his breakthrough campaign. Still, he’s comfortably Flick’s best choice in this role.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – De Jong’s ankles may be tired, but Pedri could use a break before next weekend’s big games. The Dutchman has to get fit.
CM: Marc Casado- The duel-winning worker has been excellent this season and shows few signs of wear and tear. Casado should be back in the lineup on Sunday, but perhaps Flick will consider removing him when the time comes.
RM: Lamine Yamal – Yamal showed his quality once again in midweek when he recorded an assist for the third game in a row. He is another star that Flick should look to preserve for Atleti’s visit.
AM: Fermín López – There could be some rotation here after Fermín made an impact off the bench at Dortmund. Dani Olmo was equally brilliant on Wednesday night, but his compatriot could get the nod on Sunday. Olmo is a safe bet to start next Saturday.
LM: Raphinha – The stand-in captain celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday and Flick has already confirmed that Raphinha will not be rested this weekend. He continued his incredible season by scoring the first goal on Wednesday.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – Ferran Torres is proving himself as a valuable alternative, but the Spaniard’s midweek heroics are unlikely to see him displace Lewandowski. The Pole was calm on Wednesday in the midst of an excellent season.
