Sergio Busquets and Alejandro Balde will return when Barcelona and Athletic Club face off at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday night.
Barcelona are currently second in the league table and will look to close the gap to Real Madrid with a victory at home over Athletic Club. They are undoubtedly the favourites heading into the contest and should be able to grind out all three points in front of their fans.
Barcelona will be without the services of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen. Both defenders are recovering from long-term injuries and will miss out here. In addition, Memphis Depay also remains unavailable. Otherwise, Xavi Hernandez has a fully-fit squad this weekend.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to start between the sticks for the hosts. In the right-back position, Sergi Roberto is expected to continue, with Jules Kounde and Gerard Pique partnering each other in the centre-back roles. Jordi Alba started against Villarreal, but he will likely make way for youngster Alejandro Balde as Xavi looks to rotate his side to keep the players fresh.
In the midfield, Frenkie de Jong produced an exceptional performance last time, with Xavi resting Sergio Busquets. But the Barcelona captain is set to come back into the starting lineup against Athletic Club, with the Dutchman making way.
Barcelona vs Athletic Club Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Busquets is likely to be partnered with youngsters Gavi and Pedri, who have been impressive in recent outings. The two young midfielders will be looking to add creativity and control in the middle of the park as Busquets looks to disrupt the opposition’s buildup and win the ball back.
Xavi heaped praise on the midfield duo during his pre-match press conference. He said, “Pedri and Gavi are in similar roles to that Iniesta and I played, but we must not compare. They have a strong present and future here.”
Xavi also spoke about his offensive options during his presser. The Barcelona boss said, “We have to work hard on the flanks, Dembele has talent, there are not many like him on the wings. He might lose some balls but he can make a difference.”
“Every player we have is different, Raphinha, Ferran, Ansu, and Ousmane. They can dribble and win. Ousmane will be an important player for us. Ansu is someone who can make a difference and he has done that. He is very important to us.”
Robert Lewandowski will continue as the number nine after scoring a brace in his last outing. Ansu Fati was also exceptional earlier this week, and the young winger will continue on the right flank. Ousmane Dembele impressed during his cameo against Villarreal, and it will not be surprising if he is handed a start here ahead of Ferran Torres.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Roberto, Kounde, Pique, Balde; Gavi, Busquets, Pedri; Fati, Lewandowski, Dembele
