Ronald Araujo and Sergio Busquets will start, but Frenkie de Jong will drop to the bench when Barcelona face Real Madrid on Sunday.
Barcelona will face Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final at the King Fahd International Stadium on Sunday evening. The Catalan giants have lost four of their last six meetings against Real Madrid and will be desperate to make amends here.
Xavi Hernandez will demand a strong showing from his players, and Barcelona certainly have the capability of beating any side on their day. The Blaugrana have improved considerably under the management of Xavi and they have a fully-fit squad heading into this contest.
Xavi responded to questions surrounding team selection during pre-match press conference. He said, “I haven’t decided yet how we will start in attack. In principle, everyone is available and we will choose according to what we think is best for the team. I don’t think it will depend on individuals but on how we defend or attack. I don’t think it will depend on names.”
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Furthermore, the Catalan giants come into this game on the back of a six-match unbeaten run across all competitions. So they will be fairly confident of putting on a winning performance against Real Madrid.
German international Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to continue in goal for Barcelona. Jules Kounde and Jordi Alba will be deployed as the full-backs, and both players will have to remain defensively aware to deal with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes. At the heart of the defense, Ronald Araujo is expected to partner Andreas Christensen. Araujo’s fitness is a major boost for Barcelona.
Speaking to media ahead of the game, Xavi said on Araujo, “Ronald is extraordinary defensively, maybe one of the best in the world, correcting, one-on-one in space, he is a tremendous corrector for us. having him gives us security and leadership. It’s an option for him to play full-back.”
Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, Gavi, and Pedri are expected to line up in the midfield three. While Busquets will be anchoring the midfield, the likes of Pedri and Gavi will look to add flair and creativity in the middle of the park. And with Busquets returning, Frenkie de Jong will drop to the bench.
Ousmane Dembele has been in fine form this season, and the Frenchman is expected to be deployed as a wide forward. Brazilian international Raphinha should start on the right flank, with Robert Lewandowski leading the line for the Catalan giants.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba; Gavi, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele
