Minnows Intercity Sant Joan d’ Alacant will welcome Barcelona to the Estadio Antonio Solana for their Copa Del Rey Round of 32 tie on Wednesday.
Spanish third-tier side Intercity Sant Joan d’ Alacant will welcome La Liga leaders Barcelona to the Estadio Antonio Solana for the Copa Del Rey last 32 clash on Wednesday.
Barcelona are the most successful side in the history of Copa Del Rey, winning the trophy 31 times. The Blaugrana have also made the final of the competition nine times in the last 12 years and are no strangers to going all the way.
While Xavi Hernandez will be expected to make changes to his roster for the night, the Spaniard will be keen to lift the trophy he won thrice as a player. The draw is a favourable one, and Barcelona will be expected to progress to the Round of 16.
For Intercity, the clash is an excellent chance to make themselves known in the footballing sphere. Still, in their nascent stages, the home side will be keen to put in a performance that should have people sitting up and taking notice.
The home side shared the spoils with Barcelona B earlier in the campaign. However, they could find the senior side a tad tougher. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Intercity Sant Joan d’Alacant
โฝ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐
๐๏ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ซ๐จ, ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ.
๐ฃ๏ธ "No queremos ser sparring de nadie, queremos competir y hacer el mejor partido posible".
๐ https://t.co/YCwSxNI3z1 pic.twitter.com/zoznC9wvMX
— ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ (@CFIntercity) January 3, 2023
Founded in 2017, Intercity are still in their infancy and will be looking forward to facing Barcelona with much interest. They have not taken to the field since the 2-0 win over Mirandes in the previous round of the Copa Del Rey.
This is just the second time that they have qualified for the Copa Del Rey and are already experiencing their best campaign. While they go into the clash against Barcelona as massive underdogs, there is also an opportunity for them to make a name for themselves.
Gustavo Siviero’s side are likely to set up in a 5-3-2 formation and will in all likelihood remain changed from their last game. The aim will be to stifle Barcelona’s space and give them less time on the ball. While that might prove difficult, overcrowding the final third could give the home side strength in numbers.
Gaizka Campos should start in goal behind the back five of Guillem Jaime, Vadik Murria Soriano, Ivan Kecojevic, Rafa Galvez and Cristo Romero. The trio of Cristian Herrera, Miguel Mari and Xemi Fernandez should hold the fort in the middle of the park.
Oriol Soldevila Puig and Pol Roige should start up front. When not in possession, one of the two is likely to drop deep and make it a four-man midfield. With the quality between both sides rather prominent, the home team could opt to go for energy and strength in numbers to close the deficit.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2):ย Campos; Jaime, Murria, Kecojevic, Galvez, Romero; Herrera, Mari, Fernandez; Soldevila, Roige
Barcelona
Jordi Alba was sent off against Espanyol and is suspended for the upcoming La Liga game. With the suspension not extending to the Copa Del Rey, he should be in contention to start on the night.
Star striker Robert Lewandowski could also feature given that he is unlikely to feature against Atletico Madrid. An infallible goalscorer, he could rack up numbers on the night even if he comes off the bench on the night. Xavi is otherwise expected to make wholesale changes to his side.
La convocatoria del debut en la Copa pic.twitter.com/bie3jkOmjs
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) January 3, 2023
Barcelona are likely to deploy in a 4-3-3 formation with several fringe players getting playtime. Inaki Pena should start in goal behind a back four of Hector Bellerin, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia and Jordi Alba.
The trio of Franck Kessie, Pablo Torre and Sergio Busquets should start in the middle of the park, with Memphis Depay, Raphinha and Ansu Fati leading the attack. Even with changes, the La Liga leaders have a pretty roster that should do the job with minimal fuss.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3):ย Pena; Bellerin, Kounde, Garcia, Alba; Kessie, Busquets, Torre; Raphinha, Depay, Fati
Key Stats
- Barcelona are the most successful side in the history of the competition, winning the trophy 31 times, the last being in 2020/21.
- Barcelona are also the side with the most finals appearances in the competition. They have made the showpiece event 42 times, the last being in 2020/21.
- Barcelona is only one of three teams to win the competition four years in a row. They are also the only side to do so in the post-World War II era.
- Intercity have never gotten past the last 32 round of the Copa Del Rey. In fact, this is their most successful campaign in the competition so far.
- This is the first meeting between both teams.
Player to Watch
Memphis Depay
The Dutchman has taken a backseat this season following last summer’s recruits. He has been limited to just seven appearances across all competitions. Despite limited playing time, Depay has scored four goals and made one assist.
He is likely to be offered the opportunity to lead the line on the night and should have enough quality to make an impact. Anything less than a goalscoring return should be seen as a disappointment. The sooner he can breach the Intercity defence, the easier the night will be for Barcelona.
Prediction
Intercity Sant Joan d’ Alacant 0-4 Barcelona
The difference in quality between the sides is huge, and even with a weakened lineup, Barcelona are the clear favourites. Intercity have little to lose and can make life difficult for the visitors early on. However, it is debatable if they can keep up their energy levels and take the game to their opponents over 90 minutes. Anything less than a convincing victory for Barcelona can be considered a surprise.ย
GOOD