Gavi, Bardghji start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Espanyol | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways when they take on RCD Espanyol later today in La Liga.

Having suffered a 0-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League earlier this week, the Catalans will be eager to correct course and build momentum ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.

At the same time, they will also want to strengthen their grip at the top of the league standings, especially after yet another slip-up from Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 against Girona on Friday night.

Barcelona are currently six points clear of their bitter rivals, and a victory in the Catalan derby could see them take a major step towards retaining the La Liga crown.

Despite that, there will be some degree of rotation with an eye on the Atletico clash, where they need to come back from two goals down.

Frenkie de Jong is back in the squad after more than a month out, which will come as a timely boost for Barça. However, Raphinha and Marc Bernal remain unavailable, along with Andreas Christensen.

Given the situation, here’s how Hansi Flick could set his team up against Manolo Gonzalez’s Espanyol outfit tonight at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Defence

Joan Garcia was Barcelona’s hero in their previous meeting against Espanyol, putting on a goalkeeping masterclass. He will be gunning for another victory against his former club.

In defence, Pau Cubarsi is guaranteed to start, considering that he will miss the Atletico Madrid clash through suspension after his red card in the first leg.

However, there will be a change of partners for the Spaniard, with Ronald Araujo in line to replace Gerard Martin, who will likely be given a rest.

At left-back, Joao Cancelo could also do with a breather, which will pave the way for Alejandro Balde to make his first start since returning from injury. Jules Kounde should continue on the right side of the defence for the Blaugrana.

Balde to replace Cancelo. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

Midfield

This is where things get tricky for Hansi Flick. While Frenkie de Jong is back, it is unlikely that he will be thrust back into the starting lineup right away without any match practice.

Meanwhile, Pedri was dealing with some discomfort earlier in the week, leading to his substitution at half-time against Atletico Madrid. So, the manager has a major decision to make with the Spanish midfield maestro.

While the team does not look the same without Pedri, it is expected that Flick will rest him with an eye on Tuesday. This should pave the way for Gavi to make his first start in months, having steadily gained minutes since returning from injury in March.

With no Marc Bernal, Eric Garcia could once again be asked to partner Gavi in the double pivot as Barcelona’s holding midfielder, given as the manager has barely relied on Marc Casado in recent weeks.

Moving forward, Fermin Lopez is expected to get the nod over Dani Olmo in the No. 10 position.

Attack

Lamine Yamal had some minor discomfort in training on Friday. And while he is fit now, risking him makes little sense for Barcelona ahead of the must-win Atletico clash. As such, Roony Bardghji should start on the right flank today.

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres is likely to replace Robert Lewandowski as the centre-forward, hoping to end his goal drought. Marcus Rashford should continue on the left wing in Raphinha’s absence.