De Jong, Raphinha start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Eintracht Frankfurt | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be aiming to get back to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League when they lock horns with Eintracht Frankfurt tonight at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Having lost to Chelsea in their previous European fixture, the Blaugrana find themselves staring at the possibility of missing out on a top-eight finish, meaning they would have to go through additional playoffs to qualify for the Round of 16.

As such, there is no margin for error for Barça as they must ensure that they win all their remaining matches while hoping that results in other matches go their way.

Leading up to the match, Barcelona have received some positive news as key players Joan Garcia and Raphinha trained normally on Monday, indicating their full readiness to start tonight.

Gavi and Dani Olmo are out with injuries, whereas Ronald Araujo remains unavailable due to mental health issues. Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been training with the group for over a week now and could return to the squad.

Things did not go Barcelona’s way when they last faced Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou and that is something the team will be eager to avoid. With that in mind, here’s how Hansi Flick could set his team out to face the Bundesliga outfit.

Defence

Joan Garcia picked up a knock during the win over Real Betis over the weekend, but as mentioned previously, he has been able to train normally and should start tonight, aiming to end Barcelona’s eight-game streak without a clean sheet in the Champions League.

As for the defensive line, Alejandro Balde is a certain starter on the left side of the defence, while Jules Kounde should continue as the right-back for the home team.

One likely change could be made at the heart of the defence, though, with Eric Garcia moving into the backline after featuring in midfield in some of the recent matches.

The Spaniard will partner teenage prodigy Pau Cubarsi, meaning Gerard Martin, who has excelled as a makeshift centre-back, will be the one making way.

Midfield

De Jong set to return. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Pedri has been simply brilliant game after game for Barcelona and will be crucial once again for the team’s chances with his ability to control and dictate the proceedings from midfield.

Eric Garcia has been the chosen partner for Pedri in recent games, and while the pair has excelled, the return of Frenkie de Jong in the last game changes things, with the Dutchman expected to reclaim his place alongside the Spanish international.

Hansi Flick experimented successfully with Lamine Yamal as the No. 10 against Real Betis over the weekend, but tonight’s game should see Fermin Lopez return to the lineup as the central attacking midfielder for the Catalan giants.

Attack

With Fermin expected to start, Lamine Yamal should move to his usual spot on the right flank for Barcelona, from where he will once again hope to influence the result.

On the left flank, Raphinha should be back in the team after not playing a single minute in the weekend clash due to some overload. The winger is a key piece of the puzzle for Flick and Barça, and having him in the lineup for a crucial game like this will be a boost.

Up top, Ferran Torres gets the nod as the centre-forward after his heroics over the weekend, where he scored a hat-trick. Robert Lewandowski will have to make do with a spot on the bench.