da doce： Both Barcelona and Real Madrid enjoy a short break over the weekend after El Clasico was postponed to a later date.
da betway： But now, La Liga returns in mid-week as the Blaugrana will welcome Real Valladolid at the Camp Nou this Tuesday night.
Ernesto Valverde should have his troops well rested and ready to fire on all cylinders but since they are now playing catch-up, there should be no margin for error anymore.
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The team is still facing a couple of injuries and suspensions that could force the coach into some decisions but overall, most of his big guns should be available come Tuesday night.
But taking everyone’s form and absences into consideration, here’s what we think Barcelona’s starting XI should look like against Real Valladolid, with Valverde making two changes from the team that beat Slavia Prague last time out.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers throughout the ongoing season. Just recently, he was once again their hero in the game against Slavia Prague, tallying a total of eight saves on the night to preserve Blaugrana’s lead and secure the three points.
His position in the team is definitely not under threat.
The same can be said for the backline, although possibly for different reasons. Barcelona have been shaky in defence apart from Ter Stegen but Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet are currently two of their best options at the centre-back position, especially with Samuel Umtiti experiencing some fitness issues again.
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Sergi Roberto has received a knock in the last game and even if he makes it back, it’s unlikely Valverde will start him from the get-go, nor should he, and for that reason we’re putting Nelson Semedo there instead.
Jordi Alba has been sorely missed on the opposite side and his influence should give Barcelona that extra edge moving forward.
In the middle of the pitch, Arthur Melo and Frenkie de Jong are standard picks and by this point, they have already cemented their place in the lineup.
But the same can’t really be said for Sergio Busquets, who’s seemingly experiencing a dip in form or is just gradually getting past his prime. For that reason, and considering how he’s always been effective when called upon, Arturo Vidal should get the nod in front of the experienced Spaniard.
In that case, Vidal takes up a spot further up the pitch and De Jong drops deeper into the defensive-midfielder position.
Up front, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann should remain in the lineup, the Argentine in his natural position on the right and the Frenchman as the team’s centre-forward instead of Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan has been sub-par for the majority of the season and his form continues to be a problem for the team.
Ansu Fati, on the other hand, hasn’t seen any action since the game against Villarreal on matchday six.
He’s aching for some minutes and just by dropping Suarez and slotting the 16-year-old prodigy in the lineup instead of him, Barcelona have a win-win scenario – Suarez is rested until he regains his form and Fati can get a valuable chance to shine.
Considering that Ousmane Dembele is still serving his suspension, the youngster is the perfect choice in this situation.