Three talking points ahead of Guadalajara vs Barcelona | Copa del Rey | OneFootball

Barcelona’s penultimate game of the calendar year sees them lock horns with CD Guadalajara in their first game of the Copa del Rey this season.

The Catalans won the competition last season with Hansi Flick, notably after a thrilling final against Real Madrid, and it is clear that the idea will be to defend the title at any cost this time around.

Tuesday’s game will be played at Guadalajara’s home stadium, Estadio Pedro Escartin, and will be a different experience for the Blaugrana squad as they take to the field against a very limited audience.

Yet, one can expect a very hostile atmosphere, as is always the case with the Copa del Rey’s initial rounds, for the fans will be hoping for an upset at any cost on the night.

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

The goalkeeping dilemma

Hansi Flick has confirmed ahead of the game against Guadalajara that Joan Garcia will be rested on the night and that a backup goalkeeper will receive the start in the cup fixture.

What remains uncertain, however, is which of the two backup options available the manager will turn to, especially given that both players have a right to demand the position.

Wojciech Szczesny, who served as Barcelona’s mainstay goalkeeper for most of last season and during Joan Garcia’s injury earlier this year, is a rightful candidate to claim the starting spot in the cup.

For all the contributions he has made in recent years, he deserves the starting role in the competition for himself. 

However, it is also a fact that the player is not particularly demanding a start at this stage in his career and he also just recovered from a bout of gastroenteritis that kept him out of the team’s game against Osasuna at the weekend.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, the captain of Barcelona, is the other candidate making a case to start, even as he stares at an uncertain future at the club.

All eyes, thus, remain on Hansi Flick to see which of the two veterans he hands the start. Will he stick to his pecking order and pick Szczesny or honour Ter Stegen’s legacy at the club and hand him a start?

A start for fringe names

Could Christensen start against Guadalajara? (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

As one of the easier games on paper, the Copa del Rey clash hands Flick a chance to start fringe stars and rotate his squad – something he has not been able to do much this season owing to the persistent injuries.

While Flick will be cautious so as not to overdo matters, it is almost understood that there will be heavy rotations for the game against Guadalajara, and they will go far beyond just the change in goal.

Andreas Christensen is one player Flick has not counted on extensively this season, and tomorrow’s game may be the perfect chance to hand him a start. Jofre Torrents, meanwhile, could get some minutes as well.

In midfield, there is a strong case for the likes of Marc Casado and Marc Bernal to start – and both players approach the game in contrasting situations. 

The former is dealing with a fall-off from form after an excellent season last time around, while the latter is looking to mark his return to form after a promising cameo in his last appearance.

Dro and Roony Bardghji are some of the other candidates vying for a starting spot against the lower-tier opposition and will look to leave their mark. Notably, even Frenkie de Jong could return to the starting lineup after five games.

The inevitable caution

The Copa del Rey presents an interesting format that has only got spicier in recent years after the organisers made the opening round fixtures single-legged ties at the stadium of the lower-ranked opposition.

Barcelona and other top-tier teams, needless to say, enter the round as the overwhelming favourites given that they play in a far superior division and boast of bigger names.

Yet, year after year, the Copa del Rey presents early upsets with some top-seeded teams facing shocking elimination at the hands of a spirited lower-division team.

The circumstances are understandable if one takes into perspective what the games mean for teams of various levels. 

For many La Liga teams, an opening round cup fixture is seen as an opportunity to rotate, but the situation is not remotely similar for a lower division side, who see it as one of the biggest games in their club’s history.

With nothing to lose, Guadalajara will also look to come out all guns blazing to inflict a result that will go down in their history for centuries. Hence, Flick must be wary and navigate the proceedings with caution. There is simply no room for complacency.