Official: Barcelona starting lineup to face Sevilla — Koeman goes for a three-man backline | OneFootball

Some changes were going to be imminent as Barcelona hosted Sevilla in round 25 of La Liga 2020/21, but in a change no-one saw coming, Ronald Koeman has elected to revert to a three-man backline. Oscar Mingueza will likely take up the role on the right of the centre, with Clement Lenglet flanking Gerard Pique from the other side. Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes the spot between the posts.

Sergino Dest and Jordi Alba start as wing-backs, as part of the stretched four-man midfield. They will be providing width while Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets hold their own in the centre of the park as the double pivot.

Pedri starts, as well, but presumably on the left side of the front-three in an attacking midfield capacity. Ousmane Dembele will take charge of the other side, in a slightly asymmetrical 3-4-2-1, with Lionel Messi leading the line as the false 9.

Confirmed XI: ter Stegen; Mingueza, Pique, Lenglet; Dest, Busquets, de Jong, Alba; Dembele, Messi, Pedri

Huge changes tonight by Koeman in the hope of countering Sevilla’s incredible work-rate in the centre of the park. Packing the midfield might just be the correct move from Barcelona, and one can hope a front-three without Antoine Griezmann provides enough off-the-ball movement to attack Sevilla’s box in just the right moments.