Three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Real Oviedo in La Liga | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have an important La Liga game ahead as they prepare to face Real Oviedo at the Spotify Camp Nou. It feels like a while since Hansi Flick’s team played at home, and the fans will be eager to see a great performance.

Barcelona stumbled last week, losing 1-2 to Real Sociedad and seeing their four-point lead at the top slip. It is time to reset, perform at a high level, and keep their one-point lead over Real Madrid.

One major loss for Flick in this game is the absence of Pedri. The Canary Islander picked up another hamstring injury against Slavia Praha, and early indications suggest he will be out for at least a month.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Real Oviedo in La Liga later today.

1: Pressure on Barcelona

Real Madrid’s victory over Villarreal last night has seen them leapfrog Barcelona to the top of the table for the time being. The Catalan club now has the chance to wrest that position back against Real Oviedo.

Madrid appear to be on a new-manager bounce under Alvaro Arbeloa and looks in great form. Barcelona cannot afford any slip-ups like the one against Real Sociedad, as Los Blancos would be all over them.

Oviedo are struggling in the top flight and are firmly rooted to the bottom of the league. Anything other than a good performance and three points would be unacceptable from a Barcelona perspective.

With the Camp Nou crowd behind them, Barcelona should get the job done, but football often springs surprises, and that is exactly what the Catalan club needs to avoid.

2: Who replaces Pedri?

Can you even replace Pedri? The Spaniard is one of the best midfielders in the world and is pushing into discussions of being one of the best footballers in the world. What he sees and does on a football pitch is not normal.

A month’s absence for the Canary Islander is catastrophic from a Barcelona perspective. The only silver lining is that, should they finish in the top eight in the Champions League, this is a comparatively easier run of fixtures.

Flick, however, needs to identify how to set up without Pedri. One option is to use Dani Olmo in a deeper role and capitalise on both his and Fermin’s good form and goalscoring touch in recent weeks.

There is also no doubt that this is a time for Marc Bernal to step up. The young Spaniard has been waiting for an opportunity to get regular minutes, and now is his time to show he has what it takes to be Barcelona’s pivot in the long run.

3: Handling Robert Lewandowski’s minutes

Robert Lewandowski is 37. He is no longer a spring chicken, and playing him for 90 minutes three times in a week is not sustainable. The Real Oviedo game is a good opportunity to rest the Pole ahead of the Copenhagen fixture.

Ferran is still out injured and could take another week to recover, so he is not expected to be available for the Copenhagen clash. Flick could use Marcus Rashford as the striker against Oviedo to freshen things up.

Alternatively, Olmo or Fermin could play as a false nine, allowing Flick to give Bernal minutes. The priority is for Lewandowski to get some rest unless he is absolutely needed.

Ultimately, the decision rests with Hansi Flick. We will soon see how the German manager lines up against Oviedo at the Spotify Camp Nou.