Pedri, Yamal start in a 4-2-3-1: How Barcelona could line up against AS Monaco | OneFootball

Barcelona will be aiming to make it six wins in six games this season when they lock horns with AS Monaco in their first UEFA Champions League fixture of the 2024/25 campaign.

Barcelona head into tomorrow’s game against the Ligue 1 outfit with confidence and momentum after beating Girona resoundingly this past weekend.

While it is true that Hansi Flick & co. have been hit hard by injuries and absences of several key players, the German tactician has found ways to keep the team clicking and pushing forward.

Barça go into tomorrow’s match at Stade Louis II without Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez.

But they have welcomed Ansu Fati back in the squad after he recovered from the plantar fasciitis issue he suffered in pre-season.

With that in mind, here’s how Barcelona could take the field against Adi Hutter’s men tomorrow as they aim to kickstart their European campaign with a win.

Defence

Club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the undisputed starter in goal and will hope to fare better than he did the last time he faced Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy match, when he was far from assured between the sticks.

Inigo Martinez has grown into a leader at the back. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

There are unlikely to be any tweaks made to the defensive line that is working well for Barça. As such, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde ought to continue as the two full-backs, providing width and attacking impetus from the right and left flanks, respectively.

Meanwhile, Pau Cubarsi will once again pair up with veteran defender Inigo Martinez, who has emerged as the leader of this young Barcelona backline this season.

Midfield

The midfield department is where things get tricky for Flick given the lack of options at his disposal. As mentioned earlier, Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez are all out with injuries.

Meanwhile, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are still some way away from making a comeback despite resuming training this week, leaving the manager with limited options.

One possibility for Flick would be to introduce Eric Garcia as one of the two pivot midfielders and push Pedri into the No. 10 role.

Raphinha likely to operate in a more central role in Olmo’s absence. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the manager is likely to stick with the combination of Pedri and Marc Casado that has worked very well in recent games, keeping the option of Garcia in his back pocket.

While Pablo Torre would be a more natural replacement for Olmo in the No. 10 role, Raphinha is expected to take up the position as he did in the first two matches of the season and impressed when the Spaniard was not yet registered.

Attack

Raphinha’s shift into the attacking midfield position leaves a vacancy on the left flank, which Ferran Torres is expected to fill tomorrow.

Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski are locked in for the remaining two positions in attack and will be looked at to provide the breakthrough for their team against Monaco.

The returning Ansu Fati and summer signing Pau Victor can provide alternatives from the bench in attack, along with 16-year-old Toni Fernandez.