Barcelona's Hansi Flick to shake up midfield ahead of crunch match against Atletico Madrid
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed that he will be making significant changes to his midfield for Tuesday's crucial La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid. The German tactician is under pressure after the Catalans struggled in recent high-stakes matches, and a win at home would be just what the doctor ordered.
The two teams have a long history of intense rivalry, having battled it out in the league and Copa del Rey semifinals last season. Barca emerged victorious in both, claiming the Spanish Super Cup on their rivals Real Madrid's expense. However, this season's form has been less convincing, with defeats to big-name clubs like Los Blancos, PSG, and Chelsea casting a cloud over the squad.
Atletico, meanwhile, are riding high on a six-game winning streak, and their hot form will make it an even tougher task for Barcelona to break down. The away side's inability to beat Atleti in their previous meeting at Montjuic last season has also been a concern.
Flick's decision to overhaul the midfield comes as a result of the team's struggles, with Casado and Bernal being dropped and De Jong set to return alongside Pedri. This trio is seen as Barcelona's attacking backbone, with Olmo expected to provide creativity behind the front two of Lewandowski and Raphinha.
The full-back pairing will remain unchanged, with Balde at left-back and Garcia on the right. Martin and Cubarsi are set to form a solid center-back partnership in defense, ensuring that Atletico's attacking threat is kept under wraps.
Barcelona's starting lineup against Atletico Madrid:
- Goalkeeper: Garcia
- Full-backs: Balde (left), Eric (right)
- Center-backs: Martin, Cubarsi
- Midfielders: De Jong, Pedri, Olmo
- Frontline: Raphinha, Lewandowski, Lamine
The match holds significant implications for both teams' top-four hopes and bragging rights in La Liga. With Flick's changes aimed at revitalizing the team's performance, can Barcelona break Atletico's winning streak and get back to their best?
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed that he will be making significant changes to his midfield for Tuesday's crucial La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid. The German tactician is under pressure after the Catalans struggled in recent high-stakes matches, and a win at home would be just what the doctor ordered.
The two teams have a long history of intense rivalry, having battled it out in the league and Copa del Rey semifinals last season. Barca emerged victorious in both, claiming the Spanish Super Cup on their rivals Real Madrid's expense. However, this season's form has been less convincing, with defeats to big-name clubs like Los Blancos, PSG, and Chelsea casting a cloud over the squad.
Atletico, meanwhile, are riding high on a six-game winning streak, and their hot form will make it an even tougher task for Barcelona to break down. The away side's inability to beat Atleti in their previous meeting at Montjuic last season has also been a concern.
Flick's decision to overhaul the midfield comes as a result of the team's struggles, with Casado and Bernal being dropped and De Jong set to return alongside Pedri. This trio is seen as Barcelona's attacking backbone, with Olmo expected to provide creativity behind the front two of Lewandowski and Raphinha.
The full-back pairing will remain unchanged, with Balde at left-back and Garcia on the right. Martin and Cubarsi are set to form a solid center-back partnership in defense, ensuring that Atletico's attacking threat is kept under wraps.
Barcelona's starting lineup against Atletico Madrid:
- Goalkeeper: Garcia
- Full-backs: Balde (left), Eric (right)
- Center-backs: Martin, Cubarsi
- Midfielders: De Jong, Pedri, Olmo
- Frontline: Raphinha, Lewandowski, Lamine
The match holds significant implications for both teams' top-four hopes and bragging rights in La Liga. With Flick's changes aimed at revitalizing the team's performance, can Barcelona break Atletico's winning streak and get back to their best?
but I think Flick making these changes might be a good move! They gotta shake things up if they wanna beat Atleti, right? De Jong and Pedri are like the dynamic duo of Barcelona's midfield - they're fast and agile. Olmo is gonna bring that creativity, so hopefully it translates to some good goal chances 
. I'm still not convinced about Lewandowski tho, he just can't seem to get past Atleti's defense when they're on 
I mean i love De Jong & Pedri they're my favorites but if we r gonna lose this match its not the end of the world 
Atletico Madrid seems like a tough opponent and if Flick's changes dont bring us back to our winning ways then hes outta a job 
, and Raphinha's gonna try and terrorize Atleti's defense 
. Can't wait for this one, gonna be a thrilling match!
I got a feeling that Atletico are gonna be super tough to beat with that 6-game win streak under their belt 
. Flick is trying to mix things up, but can he get the right balance for his midfield? 
The trio of De Jong, Pedri, and Olmo look solid, but Atleti's defense is on fire 
. He thinks a few tweaks are gonna turn this ship around, but let's be real, they're gonna need more than just some midfield shuffling to take down the mighty Atleti 
. That being said, if anyone can pull it off, it's De Jong and Pedri on fire 
. Either way, I'm hyped for this one! 
they've been struggling so much lately and this game against atletico madrid could be a disaster 
de jong and pedri are meant to be barcelona's attacking backbone so hopefully they can get it together 
️ the front three of raphinha, lewandowski and olmo is looking promising though 
atm i think atletico has the upper hand, theyve been on fire and barca is struggling to find their rhythm 
barcelona fans are getting restless tho, we need a win or it'll be a long season 
. Atletico's been on fire lately and their attack is gonna be tough to crack. Pedri and De Jong are the only ones looking remotely solid so far, hope that trio can carry them through this one 
. The question is, can Flick get his team to gel and play the way he wants them to? I'm intrigued by this match-up, especially with Atletico's recent form being based on some pretty scrappy wins 
. Will Barcelona be able to overcome their struggles and come out on top, or will Atletico continue their winning streak?
and olmo will prob do some magic behind raphinha & lewandowski 
hopefully they can get back to their winning ways and beat atletico 
they've been getting destroyed by bigger teams lately and now they gotta go head to head with atleti who's on fire 