Pau Cubarsi will make his El Clasico debut when Barcelona and Real Madrid face off at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Barcelona will look to close the gap to Real Madrid to five points at the top of La Liga when the two sides clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday evening. And Xavi Hernandez has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen missed the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain with their respective suspensions. The duo is available and should be in the travelling squad to take on Real Madrid this weekend.
So, Alejandro Balde and Gavi are the only absentees for the reigning La Liga champions ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico. Meanwhile, Xavi did not provide any fitness updates during his pre-match press conference and only briefly touched upon the recent controversy after the defeat to PSG.
Ilkay Gundogan had some comments on Ronald Araujo’s dismissal in the second leg earlier this week. Araujo then responded to those quotes by saying he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself. Xavi has quashed rumours of a subsequent rift. The Barcelona manager said, “When there is no malice, there is no problem. It’s settled.”
While Araujo saw red against PSG, he will retain his spot at the heart of the defence, pairing up with Pau Cubarsi in the central defensive partnership. Cubarsi will make his El Clasico debut in Sunday’s La Liga tie at the Santiago Bernabeu. Meanwhile, Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will continue as the full-backs, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen taking his usual spot between the sticks.
Barcelona will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of ter Stegen, with Andreas Christensen returning to his midfield role. The Danish international will accompany Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri in the middle of the park, meaning Frenkie de Jong will be an option on the bench.
As for the offensive trifecta, Robert Lewandowski will spearhead the away side’s attack, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal retaining their spots on the flanks. So, Joao Felix, Ferran Torres, and Vitor Roque will be backup options on the bench.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; Gundogan, Christensen, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
