Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Alaves | La Liga MD14 | OneFootball

Barcelona’s trip to London midweek was not a memorable one in any sense of the word as the team not only returned having dropped three points but also morally and internally broken.

The Catalans have not shown anything this season that suggests that they have what it takes to win big games, but Hansi Flick remains confident that the best version of the team is yet to come.

Their first chance of showing that improvement comes tomorrow evening as they lock horns with Deportivo Alaves at the Spotify Camp Nou on Matchday 14 of La Liga. Now just one point off Real Madrid, they will hope to end the match-day even ahead of them.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves.

Digesting a tough pill

It is easy to pin the blame for Barcelona’s defeat to Chelsea on a single player, but the fact of the matter remains that even with eleven men on the field, Barcelona did not show enough to prove that they could have taken all three points.

The Catalans lacked intensity across the field, failed to press high, and lost the midfield battle by a landslide – all of which contributed to the defence being overloaded. Not for the first time this season, they faltered heavily in a big game.

Hansi Flick himself admitted ahead of the Alaves game that the defeat midweek had affected the team and that it is a difficult pill to swallow, not only because they lost but because of the manner in which they did.

Tomorrow’s primary agenda, thus, will be to get back on winning ways whatever the cost. The team will play at the Spotify Camp Nou once more, and there will thus be a special atmosphere, but it is critical that they are not hung up on the midweek result.

Hansi Flick’s mentorship will play a massive role in that regard. Last season, Barcelona won El Clasico immediately after being knocked out of the UCL by Inter Milan, and they must take out a page from the same book tomorrow.

One in, one out

Pedri is back. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

In terms of squad updates, not much changes for Barcelona in terms of the defence or attacking departments. A lot, however, has changed in midfield.

Just days after the game at Stamford Bridge, the team welcomes back Pedri Gonzalez to the squad, and the Canary Islander will indeed be available for tomorrow’s clash. It remains to be seen if he is ready to start, but all signs point to some involvement.

Needless to say, that comes as a massive boost for Barcelona, who are incredibly reliant on his genius to progress the game through the middle of the park. 

Frenkie de Jong did largely well to fill in Pedri’s absence, but the Chelsea game was the perfect example of why the youngster is indispensable.

Concurrently, however, Barcelona face a massive blow as they miss out on Fermin Lopez’s services after the midfielder suffered an injury and is ruled out for two weeks. 

The development snatches away one of the team’s most lethal attacking presences from Hansi Flick’s plans and is a big problem for the coach, especially given Dani Olmo’s lukewarm form.

How Flick manages the attacking midfield void tomorrow, thus, remains to be seen and will be critical in deciding the result against Alaves.

The Raphinha factor

Raphinha returned from injury in Barcelona’s win over Athletic Club last weekend as he came off the bench for some sparse minutes. Against Chelsea, his involvement was more, and he played over half an hour for the Blaugrana.

As the weekend’s clash against Alaves approaches, Flick is faced with a serious dilemma as to whether or not to start Raphinha, especially given that the decision has pros and cons in either way.

Raphinha starting would be a massive blessing for Barcelona’s attack, pressing system, and in terms of bringing his leadership to the field, something the team has lacked direly. Concurrently, however, it carries the risk of a relapse given how long he has been out.

Starting him on the bench would preserve his fitness and ensure that his return is more phased and gradual. However, that would mean that Marcus Rashford starts the game and serves a direct blow to the pressing structure.

Flick’s decision on Raphinha’s participation will ultimately come down to the player’s sensations and what the manager sees in training. It will, needless to say, play a major role in deciding the flow of the game.