Barcelona have little to play for in the final game of the season.
The title is secured, with no final day drama like last season, and the Catalans were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals, so there is no final awaiting them. This game would have been important if the unbeaten record was still intact, but Barcelona fell at the penultimate hurdle against Levante.
One of the major reasons for the loss was because Lionel Messi was rested; this was understandable considering the sheer amount of games he has played this season. However, the team collapsed without his influence and game-changer ability.
This fixture against Real Sociedad is the last game of the season at Camp Nou. Therefore, Valverde may want to finish the season strongly and keep up their impressive unbeaten record of not losing there. The last defeat in any major competition at home was in September 2016 to Deportivo Alaves. It’s also Andres Iniesta’s last match for Barcelona, so he deserves to go out on a high.
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Why should Barcelona rotate?
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This has been a tough season physically and mentally with players carrying on through injuries such as Gerard Pique. It has been successful because they won the domestic double. However, they fell short of their ultimate aims which were to go the league season unbeaten or win the treble. The dedication has been top-notch from the regular starters. Most of the players have been involved in nearly 50 competitive games for Barca.
Therefore, the main players should be rewarded with a rest. The majority will be playing in the World Cup, so they will need to recover for that as well as ensuring that they avoid injury. This could be used as a last opportunity for some periphery players to stake a claim on a place.
It would also normally be a good opportunity for some La Masia graduates to play. However, they are involved in Barcelona B’s attempts to stay in the Segunda division. They have three games left to drag themselves out of the relegation places.
Players such as Andre Gomes, Aleix Vidal and Lucas Digne should start in this game. There will still be key players starting due to limitations on the squad. Yerry Mina isn’t ready for the first-team while Thomas Vermaelen is injured so Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti will start. Sergi Roberto is suspended, which means that Nelson Semedo will start.
However, the majority of the rest of the team should be rotated out with the exception of Andres Iniesta. This will be his last ever game for Barcelona, so he needs to have a proper send-off. The focus of the match will be on him, so he should have a central role as the fans appreciate what he has done for the club over his long career. Valverde can always keep key players on the bench to change the match if it is going terribly.