This Saturday at 9:00 PM, Barça and Osasuna face off in Matchday 27 of the EA Sports League. The match will be played at Lluís Companys, although we have already seen some images of Camp Nou game. The match can be followed through Movistar LaLiga and minute by minute through our social media @carpetasblaugranas
Busquets Ferrer will referee the match, joined in the VAR by referee Iglesias Villanueva. It will be the fourth time he officiates the blaugranas, the other three times ended with a blaugrana victory. He has refereed the Basque team the same number of times, although the results are not as positive, two wins and one loss.
How FC Barcelona Arrives
The blaugranas come from a tremendous morale boost after winning with one player down in the first leg of the Champions League. The team is showing increasingly higher mental strength, overcoming setbacks and attacking when they have the opportunity. While it is a young and sometimes inexperienced squad, it is alive in all competitions in a good position.
Flick has commented that there are several differences compared to the match at El Sadar, especially in the level and performance of his team. Regarding Szczęsny's match, the entire staff knew the level the Pole could deliver, as they have seen it in training. Finally, he hasn't clarified how many rotations there will be, but he will have to make them to have the best possible team on the field.
The doubts in the line-up are in defense, where both Íñigo and Balde could rest as they ended up with knocks. Pedri could be the other one to rotate, especially due to the accumulation of minutes, although he is an essential player for the Culers. Up front, the three will play, perhaps Lewandowski could rest due to Wednesday's effort and Ferran would come in.
How Osasuna Arrives
Vicente Moreno's team is 11th, five points behind Rayo Vallecano, the team holding the last spot for Europe. Of the last 5 matches they have played, they have only managed to win one of them (2-1 against Real Sociedad), lost another and drew the rest. The data doesn't improve in away matches, as in the last 5 outings, they haven't managed to win any match, 3 points out of the 15 that were at stake.
The coach of the Rojillos has praised Raphinha, considering the former Leeds player as "one of the best in the world, if not the best." When asked if he would settle for a draw, he said initially no, but that it all depends on how the match goes. To conclude, he commented that they must be at their highest level if they want to repeat what they did in the first round.
Regarding the starters, Aimar Oroz is Osasuna's only absentee, a key player in the Rojillo's scheme which could lead to a system change. It wouldn't be strange to see a 5-man defense, along with two wing-backs and in the middle two attacking midfielders. The other doubt is Rubén García's position, as Moi Gómez could come in doubling the right-back position.
Match Keys
Revenge Spirit: Flick's team was undefeated all season until they traveled to El Sadar and suffered their first defeat. The Rojillos dominated that match against a Barça that had perhaps rotated excessively and ended up being thrashed. This duel can serve the blaugranas to recover that wounded pride and return the result.
Physical Condition: Cubarsí's expulsion in the 20th minute made the team run more than expected. The fatigue was evident in all the blaugrana players, in fact, some ended up 'stiff' from the effort like Balde. Flick will make changes compared to the XI that played against Benfica, but without disrupting the team as much as in the first leg.
Applying Pressure: unlike last week, Barcelona will be the first of the top three to play in the matchday. Atleti and Madrid, who come from facing each other in the Champions League, will play their match on Sunday knowing the leader's result. As the league stands, a bad result distances you from the others and, in Barça's case, they might not depend on themselves to win it.
Lamine's Hunger: the very young Spanish winger has accumulated many minutes without scoring, something that could be concerning. Although during the matches he has seemed somewhat desperate to score, he claims he doesn't play to make numbers. However, he was the first change (except for Olmo) against Benfica, so he will be a starter and will have a new opportunity to score.