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Barcelona vs Roma: Expected Starting XI for ICC match

By Benjamin Barkworth

PASADENA, CA - JULY 28: FC Barcelona line up prior to the match against the Tottenham Hotspur at Rose Bowl on July 28, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/International Champions Cup/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JULY 28: FC Barcelona line up prior to the match against the Tottenham Hotspur at Rose Bowl on July 28, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/International Champions Cup/Getty Images) /
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The Catalans have a rematch against the side who knocked them out of the Champions League in their second pre-season game.

Barcelona started their preparations for the season with a win over Tottenham on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time. They will be hoping to carry on that run in their match against Roma in Dallas.

The build-up to this match has been dominated by Barcelona signing Malcom ahead of Roma after the Italian club thought they had secured the signing. They were naturally angered by this and pointed the blame at Barca, but Bordeaux are the ones to blame because they were the selling club. It will add an extra edge to this match, which is good news for the fans going to watch it.

Ernesto Valverde utilised a 4-3-3 formation which shifted to a 4-1-4-1 out of possession in the last match. He’s likely to use a similar set-up against Roma in order to maximise the usefulness of these matches by getting his players adjusted to the team shape that he is going to use in the upcoming season.

Expected Starting XI (4-3-3)

Cillessen

Semedo Marlon Lenglet Cucurella

Arthur Roberto Puig

Rafinha Munir Malcom

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has joined up with the team, but Cillessen is likely to start this match as the German builds up his fitness. The defence is largely the same from the last match aside from Marc Cucurella who deserves a chance to show his quality alongside more experienced defenders.

Arthur and Riqui Puig stood out in the last match through the composure on the ball and comfort in Barcelona’s system. Andre Gomes injury meant that Puig played the majority of the match while the Brazilian only had the first half to show his ability as Valverde made a lot of substitutions. Therefore, they are both likely to start with Sergi Roberto anchoring the midfield, which was a position that surprisingly suited him.

Denis Suarez’s injury means that Malcom should start in this match in order to work alongside senior players to build some understanding with them. Munir scored against Spurs and generally impressed so he should start again over Paco Alcacer who has just recovered from a minor injury. Rafinha starts once again on the right after a strong performance in which he worked well with Semedo.

Next. Midfield injuries present a golden chance to Rafinha and Arthur. dark

Eusebio Di Francesco has a strong team available with regulars such as Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi, Kevin Strootman and Kostas Manolas. Therefore, this will be a tough challenge especially if Valverde makes a lot of substitutions once again, but it’s an ideal test for pre-season.