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Hansi Flick will no doubt have one eye on the trip to Atletico Madrid next Saturday, but his Barcelona side will be in action against Leganes on Sunday night.
Barca go into the next round of domestic competition after a huge Champions League win in midweek. Theirs 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund it means Flick’s side are on the verge of booking their place in the round of 16.
Flick will not be sidelined this week (or at Atleti’s trip) because of ban two games took his criticism to Real Betis last week. However, he still chose the Barcelona team.
This is how Barca will prepare for the trip to Leganes on Sunday.
GK: Inaki Pena – The rate at which Barcelona’s defense is being broken down means that Pena will not be a problem. The Spaniard would prefer a quiet game on Sunday, however.
RB: Jules Kounde It hasn’t been a great season for Kounde so far, but he bounced back on Wednesday as he scared away the threat of rising star Jamie Gittens.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – The youngster still has a lot to learn – highlighted by his mistakes during the week – and could be the one to break out of the squad when Ronald Araujo is ready to return to the starting XI.
CB: Inigo Martinez – The former defender will be hoping he has done enough this season to convince Flick that he is the right man to be alongside Araujo going forward. The Barca captain is set to get his first game minutes on Sunday.
LB: Alejandro Balde Balde has been made to work hard with youngster Julien Duranville at Dortmund, and it’s fair to say that the Barca left-back has so far failed to return to the peak of his breakout campaign. However, it is Flick’s best option for this role.
CM: Frank de Jong De Jong’s legs may be tiring, but Pedri could do with a rest ahead of next week’s big game. The Dutchman must play his way into form.
CM: Marc Casado – The tenacious duel winner has been very successful this season and shows little signs of slowing down. Casado should be included in the XI on Sunday, but perhaps Flick will decide to drop him on the hour.
RM: Lamine Yamal – Yamal showed his quality again during the week when he recorded an assist in the third straight game. It is another star Flick must look to save the trip to Atleti.
AM: Fermin Lopez – There could be some rotation here after Fermin was involved from the bench in Dortmund. Dani Olmo was also smart on Wednesday night, but his teammate was able to concede on Sunday. Olmo is the sure bet to start next Saturday.
LM: Raphinha – The pilot celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday and Flick has already confirmed that Raphinha will not be resting this weekend. He continued his incredible season by scoring the opening goal on Wednesday.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – Ferran Torres is proving his worth as a key alternative, but the Spaniard’s heroics in midweek are unlikely to see him dislodge Lewandowski. The Pole was quiet on Wednesday amid the perfect weather.
