Leganes vs Barcelona predicted lineup: Ernesto Valverde to rotate heavily
The Catalans face the bottom side as they aim to move on from the disappointing draw against Girona at the weekend.
Barcelona’s perfect start to the season came to an end with a 2-2 draw against Catalonian rivals Girona, although Clement Lenglet’s first half red card certainly played a huge part in this. The French defender was sent off for elbowing Pere Pons after a VAR review, but the replays were inconclusive on whether it was intentional. Regardless, it was a harsh decision that changed the game completely because Barca were comfortably winning 1-0 at that point.
It was a hard-earned point to maintain their two year unbeaten home record in the league. They are still top of the table on goal difference, however, they will aiming to take advantage of any potential slip-ups from Real Madrid in their next two matches against Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
Leganes shouldn’t be too much of a challenge considering their poor start, so Ernesto Valverde can afford to tweak his starting XI. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique are outfielders who have played every minute so far this season, which needs to be addressed with this match being a good opportunity.
Expected starting XI (4-3-3)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Nelson Semedo, Samuel Umtiti, Thomas Vermaelen, Jordi Alba
Arthur Melo, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal
Ousmane Dembele, Munir El Haddadi, Philippe Coutinho
This may seem like a bizarre lineup, but these are the best opponents to utilise a weakened XI against. The opening 35 minutes prior to Lenglet’s sending off against Girona were promising because the Catalans were in full control even though they had a weakened XI with a new-look midfield. They won’t have Camp Nou’s large pitch to rely on, but Leganes are inferior to the Blanquivermell in terms of individual quality and collectively.
More from Analysis
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- How can Xavi unlock Joao Felix for FC Barcelona?
- Where does Joao Cancelo fit for FC Barcelona?
- Three takeaways from Barcelona’s 4-3 win at Villarreal
- Barcelona vs Cádiz Player Ratings from a 2-0 win
Barcelona play Athletic Bilbao, Tottenham, Valencia, Sevilla, Inter and Real Madrid in the next six matches, so Messi and the other key players will be needed for all of these. There is an international break sandwiched inbetween, which means Messi, Pique and Alba get a breather because they won’t be involved internationally. However, additional rest is always useful and it will also allow players such as Dembele and Coutinho to be leaders in the team creatively.
Pique had a shocker in the last match as he made an error which directly led to Girona’s first goal as well as being slow to react for the second with his last-ditch tackle being a penalty if Portu had opted to stay down. Therefore, taking him out of the first-team for this match wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Semedo, Arthur and Vidal all keep their places to give them some consistency and hopefully build understandings with the other players. Suarez has been impressive in the last few matches, so keeping him fresh for the upcoming key games is important while Coutinho and Dembele provide the innovation and game-changing ability in the final third in the absence of Messi.
dark. Next. Girona result shouldn’t dissuade Ernesto Valverde from rotating
Rakitic’s versatility means that he can stand in for Sergio Busquets as the pivot for the team, although he isn’t as effective at ball progression or evading pressure. However, Leganes are unlikely to be ambitious and Valverde has options on the bench if he needs to change the game. Giving Malcom some game-time after his injury wouldn’t be a bad idea either.