It’s derby day in Catalonia as Barcelona travel to the Estadi Montilivi to resume their tilt at a La Liga title defence.
Ernesto Valverde will be hoping his team can rebound after a 2-0 defeat to Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey quarterfinals.
The chance to turn the tie around will be presented to the defending champions, but a challenging clash presents itself as a roadblock this weekend – the away fixture against Girona.
Girona also have a two-goal deficit in the Copa Del Rey quarterfinals against Real Madrid, but Eusebio Sacristian’s men have two away goals to go with it.
Cup distractions aside, both teams will be focusing on bagging all three points in the Catalan Derby on Sunday.
We take a look at some of the talking points ahead of the big game.
Valverde “left” to wonder: Coutinho? Malcom? 4-4-2?
Perform or perish?
Ousmane Dembele’s ill-timed injury could go one of two ways for Barcelona. The Frenchman was in fine form and the Spanish giants will surely miss his services in one of the toughest outings they will encounter in the league campaign.
However, it does present the struggling Philippe Coutinho and Malcom an opportunity to redeem themselves by putting on a fine show on the left side of the pitch. Valverde will be facing a selection dilemma and hence tasked with choosing the lesser of the two evils.
While Malcom has been a victim of limited playing time, Coutinho has made awful use of the minutes presented to him. The Brazilian was particularly dismal against Sevilla and it won’t be surprising if the Basque coach hands the former Bordeaux man a start instead.
The former Athletic Club boss could overlook both the options and opt for a four-man midfield – a system he has fielded in the last one and a half years.
Barcelona’s midfield is stacked with quality and new-signing Kevin-Prince Boateng is comfortable with a central role too.
It will be interesting to see what Valverde has in mind and how things will pan out.
Girona mean serious business
Girona
For a club that was challenging in the top flight for the first time in their history just last season, Girona have done a splendid job.
Under Pablo Machin, the Catalan side made an early bid for a European spot, before fading out and ending up seven points short.
Girona have continued the good work even after a managerial change and are just five points of a European play-off spot after playing 20 games this term.
However, it’s not the numbers that portray Girona as a tough nut to crack for Barcelona – but rather, their attitude. The Catalan club troubled some of the best teams in the league and even eliminated Atletico Madrid from the Copa Del Rey.
The fact that they mean business in the league is evidenced by exclusion of key players like Portu, Cristhian Stuani, Pere Pons and Bernardo Espinosa their midweek cup engagement, with Madrid fielding their best eleven.
They might be struggling in the league, having failed to win a single game in their last seven. But Sacristán’s men have shown that they are no pushovers and will fight hard for the European spot that eluded them last season.
Rotation risks must pay dividends for Barcelona
Lionel Messi has been provided adequate rest in the past two weeks
Valverde has been rotating heavily in the league and the cup this season, as Barcelona attempt to win all three trophies. The Basque coach admitted that the focus will be on the league and the Champions league.
“This year we are rotating more because we think it’s the best thing to do.”
“In LaLiga Santander we want to keep our distance and we think the players in the squad have to help us,” the coach told Marca.
These rotations saw key players like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba rested against Sevilla in the cup tie. The Basque coach has absolutely no excuse to not get the job done against Girona on Sunday.
Post-January is a crucial period for any club that is fighting in three competitions Barcelona must tread carefully across these early challenges.
Rotations are a necessity, but they need to be well thought of and repeatable. Should Valverde’s rotation technique work in these early stages of the hectic period, he could use that as a blueprint at the business end of the season.
However, if the Catalan giants fail to get the best out of the rotation policy now, they will return to square one. Valverde will then be tasked with arriving at other combinations that can be considered as far as rotation is concerned. With the Champions League a fortnight away, the Barcelona gaffer will be hoping that no such complications arrive.
Simply put, Barcelona have rotated heavily in the past week and they must make it count with a win.
