Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Osasuna | La Liga MD16

Barcelona’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt midweek was something however simple, particularly with the Catalans needing a Jules Kounde brace to get them over the road.

Three video games now stay earlier than they disperse for the winter break, and the primary of them is towards Osasuna at residence.

Alessio Lisci’s males haven’t had a season to recollect thus far and languish in fifteenth place, simply three factors forward of the relegation zone. Their current kind, nevertheless, has been much more encouraging as they’re unbeaten in three video games and have gained their final two video games.

Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Osasuna.

Midfield mainstay to return

Frenkie de Jong was briefly out of Barcelona’s squad for some private issues and returned to the dynamics just for the previous two video games. On each events, he began on the bench.

Hansi Flick, in the meantime, positioned his religion within the mixture of Pedri and Eric Garcia to return good within the double-pivot, and the duo did nicely to regulate the center of the park.

Tomorrow, nevertheless, the supervisor might convey De Jong again as a starter, and all indicators level to him becoming a member of Pedri as a starter with Eric Garcia transferring again to a defensive position.

The workforce are but to play three video games this 12 months earlier than dispersing for the break, and Flick sees it to be essential to stability out gamers’ minutes. The Dutchman’s return, therefore, is near assured, and he’ll look to revive his synergy with Pedri.

Different minor rotations are anticipated to characteristic, with there being a robust probability of Marcus Rashford or Roony Bardghji that includes and Robert Lewandowski being rested. The massive change, nevertheless, is undoubtedly that of De Jong’s return.

Very long time, no clear sheet

Joan Garcia returned from his prolonged layoff interval in Barcelona’s recreation towards Athletic Membership and has remained the workforce’s beginning goalkeeper ever since.

His return from damage was extremely celebrated, and rightfully so, given how stable he has been on the again for the workforce this season. The truth is, he saved Barcelona’s first clear sheet after ten video games on the evening in what was a fairytale return.

Since then, he has began 5 video games for Barcelona throughout all competitions and has carried out exceedingly nicely, not solely with shot-stopping but additionally along with his distribution and sweeping skill. But, he has not maintained one other clear sheet.

For the hassle he has been placing in, Garcia deserves to have clear sheets to his identify, and the workforce’s tendency to concede early will not be serving to his trigger.

One of many priorities towards Osasuna, past taking the three factors, thus, shall be to keep up a clear sheet after a very long time. In spite of everything, there’s a actual have to buckle up defensively and do higher as a unit.

An opportunity to tug clear

Actual Madrid’s current kind in La Liga has been poor to say the least, and their constant detrimental outcomes have helped Barcelona not solely catch up however surge forward.

The workforce’s win over Actual Betis final weekend took Barcelona to 40 factors with 16 video games performed within the competitors. Actual Madrid, in the meantime, fell towards Celta Vigo and are actually on simply 36 factors with as many video games performed.

Having already secured a fairly stable lead, the Catalans should look to capitalise on the approaching matchday, for it presents them with an enormous alternative to tug additional away from their arch-rivals.

Actual Madrid tackle Alaves later within the week and could be overwhelming favourites beneath any regular circumstances. Two crimson playing cards towards Celta Vigo, nevertheless, now see them enter the sport with each of their left-back choices unavailable.

Including to that the truth that the workforce don’t have each right-back choices and simply two beginning centre-backs obtainable, Los Blancos are severely crippled on the again.

Their ongoing kind with the aforementioned setbacks, thus, leaves an enormous probability of them dropping factors and Barcelona should take all three factors to pile the stress on them.

It’s a golden probability certainly, and Hansi Flick’s males should bear the identical at the back of their minds on Saturday.