Following Barcelona’s defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, coach Hansi Flick is faced with a challenging decision ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga derby with Espanyol.
With Barcelona maintaining a seven-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table, Flick might consider making significant rotations in his squad as they prepare for the crucial return leg against Atletico, where they find themselves down 2-0.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid will play against Girona on Friday, and a victory could reduce the deficit to four points, complicating Flick’s selection choices further.
Meanwhile, Madrid are also in a precarious position after losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, although they enjoy a longer gap between their match with Girona and the second leg in Bavaria scheduled for next Wednesday.
“We have a derby in three days on Saturday, and it’s vital for us to secure a win,” Flick noted.
“We will evaluate the situation and consider our options.”
A worst-case scenario would involve not only experiencing a league defeat at Camp Nou since its reopening but also being knocked out of the Champions League in Madrid.
With the league Clasico against Real Madrid looming on May 10th, Flick is eager to retain Barcelona’s advantage, although the Champions League may take priority.
Several bench players, such as Ronald Araujo, Marc Casado, and Roony Bardghji, could earn starting spots against an Espanyol side currently struggling.
After a promising start to the season, Manolo Gonzalez’s team has not secured a win since 2026, beginning with a 2-0 home loss to Barcelona that initiated their downturn.
Midfielder Pedri is crucial for Barcelona but left the match against Atletico at half-time due to a minor injury issue.
“Pedri had some concerns. Nothing serious, but we need him moving forward, so we decided to substitute him,” Flick explained.
Flick hopes to have Frenkie de Jong fit for the second leg against Atletico, with the midfielder returning to training this week after recovering from a hamstring injury.
De Jong could be in the squad against Espanyol, and Barcelona can also take encouragement from Gavi’s performance as a substitute against Atletico.
“Gavi had a splendid game,” Flick remarked, indicating that this could earn the 21-year-old more playing time as he regains fitness following an extended injury layoff.
Atletico Madrid will travel to Sevilla on Saturday, with Diego Simeone likely to rest some of his key players.
The Argentine coach has been concentrating on cup competitions in recent weeks, with his team sitting fourth in La Liga and likely safe from being overtaken by Real Betis, who are trailing by 12 points in fifth place.
Mallorca’s Kosovan striker, Muriqi, netted a crucial goal last week to help his team defeat Real Madrid, which boosted their chances of avoiding relegation. The forward has scored 19 goals this season, second only to LaLiga’s top scorer Kylian Mbappe, and will be eager to add to his tally in another significant match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Key stats
0 – shots on target recorded by struggling Sevilla last weekend against Real Oviedo.
12 – no goalkeeper has achieved more clean sheets than Barcelona’s Joan Garcia.
58 – fouls committed by Real Sociedad defender Jon Aramburu, the highest in the top flight.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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