€90m midfielder in, Dani Olmo out – Predicted Barcelona line-up to face Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

The upcoming game against Atletico Madrid will be one of the toughest challenges for Barcelona yet. Not just because of the fact that Diego Simeone’s team is always a frustrating opponent, but also because of their form. In reality, Barcelona will be facing off against one of Europe’s most inform teams.

To ensure victory against them at the Montjuic Stadium will be a tall ask for Hansi Flick’s team to accomplish. However, if they manage to pull off everything just right, they might have a chance. For that reason, Flick will likely depend on a strong line-up for this game with a few tweaks.

Here is how Barcelona could line up for this game.

Expected Line-up:

Goalkeeper: Inaki Pena

There is simply no reason for Hansi Flick to even consider benching Inaki Pena right now. Individually, his performances so far this season have been commendable and the Spaniard seems to have the goalkeeper position on lock.

Right-back: Jules Kounde

The Frenchman is a key component of Hansi Flick’s team and his performances can often determine a lot about how Barcelona will fare in any given game. Against Atletico Madrid, he will need to be aware of both his offensive and defensive duties.

Centre-back: Pau Cubarsi

Despite this age, Pau Cubarsi remains one of the first names in the starting eleven for Flick, and for good reason. The Spaniard has all the assets to break apart opposition structures with his line-breaking passes while also possessing the intelligence to defend even the toughest of opponents.

Centre-back: Inigo Martinez

Alongside Cubarsi’s youth, Inigo Martinez’s experience has been a great combination. The more experienced Spanish defender knows all about most of the players he faces off in La Liga regularly and Barcelona will be hoping that he can maintain his individual performances against Atletico Madrid as well.

Left-back: Alejandro Balde

On the other flank opposite to the right-back, Alejandro Balde should get the start for this game. His speed and technical ability could come in handy when Barcelona will try to break through Atletico’s rigid structure, but also when tracking back to defend.

CDM: Marc Casado

Given the kind of scrappy battles in midfield with players trying to control and dominate this game, Marc Casado could have a field day. He excels in games where Barcelona is reliant on depending on his tenacity and energy to help regain possession and he is more than happy to do it.

CDM: Pedri

Right alongside Casado’s intensity and directness, Pedri’s cool and composure would be a great asset. The Spaniard is almost always the most efficient distributor in the team and the way he controls the tempo of the game is unparalleled.

RAM: Raphinha

With Lamine Yamal out injured, it would make sense for Raphinha to swap places and play on the right. The position comes naturally to him and he has the ability to make a difference as well with both his shooting ability and his crosses.

CAM: Gavi

The young €90 million-rated Spaniard could come in to the picture as the starting attacking midfielder for this game. His cameos so far this season have been promising and it could just be his chance to start again in a more attacking role.

He could be replacing Dani Olmo, who has been a regular in this position so far this season. However, his recent performances have been below what Barcelona expects of him, so reports have already suggested that he could end up starting on the bench for this game.

While his playing time may not be consistent, his performances and cameos have definitely been interesting. A rather efficient goalscorer for Barcelona these days, managing to grab goals despite the lack of minutes, he could be a good addition to the starting eleven for this game.

Despite the fact that Robert Lewandowski is currently leading the goalscoring charts in Spain, his performances have dipped. For that reason, the Polish striker will likely try to do whatever it takes to get on the scoresheet in this game and get his form back.