Barcelona will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing El Clasico defeat at the weekend, as they entertain Villarreal at Camp Nou on Thursday evening in La Liga.
The Catalan giants were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, thus, suffering their first loss of the season in La Liga. Prior to the El Clasico defeat, Xavi Hernandez’s side had been virtually unstoppable in the league, winning seven games on the bounce since the opening-day draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Following the first loss of the campaign, Xavi knows his side will need no further motivation when facing Villarreal at home in midweek.
Barcelona will continue without long-term absentees Ronald Araujo and Memphis Depay. Andreas Christensen is thought to be close to a comeback and could feature next week against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
There is a strong chance that Hector Bellerin will be in the squad to face Villarreal after returning to training earlier this week. Jules Kounde’s return in the El Clasico after missing several weeks due to injury eased some of the defensive concerns for Xavi.
Goalkeeper
Marc Andre ter-Stegen will be hoping to keep a clean sheet in midweek after conceding three goals in the El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid.
Defence
The Barcelona defence struggled massively against Real Madrid last weekend, which should prompt Xavi to make changes. Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde might continue operating as centre-backs in the Barcelona lineup, but Jordi Alba is pushing for a recall. The experienced Spaniard could get the nod ahead of Alejandro Balde at left-back.
Despite a strong chance of Hector Bellerin being available, Xavi is unlikely to risk him from the start. Thus, a place on the bench looks to be on the cards, with Sergi Roberto continuing at right-back in the Barcelona lineup against Villarreal.
Midfield
Changes are also likely to happen in midfield, with Sergio Busquets getting benched after a poor display in the El Clasico. Frenkie de Jong will take the No.6 role in the Barcelona lineup, hoping to dictate the tempo of play with his passing ability and driving runs with the ball.
Pedri should retain his place in the side, and he could be joined by his compatriot Gavi in the centre of the pitch. The duo possesses the technical qualities on the ball to hurt the opposition from different areas of the pitch. That said, Franck Kessie will again have to be content with a role on the bench.
Attack
Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha could make way for Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres in the Barcelona lineup. Xavi is certain to stick with Robert Lewandowski up top due to his ability to score goals from nothing and produce moments of magic.
The Spanish manager will have offensive weapons in Raphinha and Dembele to bring on off the bench if required against Villarreal.
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