Barcelona take to the field for the last time before the October international break on Sunday afternoon, facing Deportivo Alavés in La Liga.
The Catalan giants have made a remarkable start to the Hansi Flick era, winning seven of their first eight La Liga games. Their only defeat came last weekend, however, with a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Osasuna allowing their title rivals to get the better of them.
Barça returned to winning ways in midweek in the Champions League but will be desperate to avoid another mistake ahead of the looming League bracket. With the injuries wreaking havoc on the Blaugrana squad – especially in midfield – a move to Alavés mid-table may not be easy.
Here’s how Barça could line up this weekend.
GK: Inaki Pena – Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injury has opened the door for Pena, who is likely to be displaced by emergency signing Wojciech Szczesny in the coming weeks. For now, he’ll be eager to take advantage of a rare streak of starts.
RB: Jules Kounde – Despite a flurry of injuries to Barca’s squad, Kounde has proven to be a reliable provider at right-back so far this season. However, he and his defensive mates have managed just one clean sheet in their last six outings.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – There is no rest for Cubarsi, who will once again form a central pair this Sunday. Barça must be careful not to overload the 17-year-old as they have done with other academy graduates in recent years.
CB: Inigo Martinez – A goal and an assist is a pretty classy return for a centre-back, with Martínez offering just that at the 5-0 demolition of Young Boys during the week The veteran has been used more than he would have expected this term.
LB: Alexandre Balde – The defeat by 4-2 against Osasuna showed the dangers of rotating your defense against top-flight opposition and Flick is unlikely to make the same mistake twice, with Balde returning in place of Hector Fort at left-back.
DM: Marc Casado – One of the most favorable aspects of Barça’s injuries has been the emergence of Casado in the center of the field. The young man already looks like a seasoned metronome in the engine room.
DM: Peter – He looked far more impressive against Young Boys alongside Casado than against Osasuna when paired with Eric Garcia. On Sunday, he will act as Barça’s deep playmaker with his exquisite passing range.
RW: Lamine Yamal – An infectious footballer who this season has only taken advantage of his brilliance at Euro 2024 in the Barça shirt, Yamal will be at the heart of everything for the Blaugrana at Alavés.
AM: Raphinha – The Brazilian is in the form of his life at the moment and registered a few more assists against Young Boys. Whether in an attacking midfield role or out wide, he’s borderline unstoppable right now.
LW: Ferran Torres – Overshadowed by his more impressive peers, Torres may have a point to prove this weekend. Now he’s underwhelmed in back-to-back games and Flick will only be patient with him for so long.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – Lewandowski’s revival under Flick has been impressive, although his standards have never dropped too far. The shooter already has seven goals and two assists in LA Liga alone.
