Barcelona release matchday squad for PSV away clash

By Benjamin Barkworth | Nov 26, 2018

(L-R) Pablo Rosario of PSV, Philippe Coutinho of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League group B match between FC Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven at the Camp Nou stadium on September 18, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /

The Catalans could secure first place in their Champions League group with a win in Eindhoven.

Barcelona’s form in the league has been hugely inconsistent this season as they have dropped more points against sides in the bottom half than the top half, and are currently averaging less than two points per game. The Champions League has been a different story, though, because they have won three and drawn one and in the process became the first team to secure qualification to the round of 16.

They were without Lionel Messi for the two Internazionale matches, but the team upped their performance collectively to come away with results; A late Mauro Icardi equaliser at the San Siro was the only thing stopping them from getting maximum points. Messi’s best performance of the season arguably came against Tottenham at Wembley where he was at his clinical and creative best. He is already on five goals in the competition, which makes him the joint top goalscorer along with Roma’s Edin Dzeko.

PSV are clearly the weakest team in what is a tough group as they have only picked up one point and Barcelona convincingly beat them 4-0 at Camp Nou. The most the Dutch side can hope for is finishing third to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages. They have started the league season perfectly with 13 straight wins, but they are unlikely to pose too many problems even if Ernesto Valverde experiments with the squad.

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In terms of the matchday squad, Sergi Roberto and Rafinha are both unavailable due to injuries in the Atletico match while Luis Suarez, Jasper Cillessen and Arthur also appear to have picked up issues because they haven’t been included either. Ivan Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho have both returned from injuries, though, which is a welcome boost. Both are likely to move straight back into the starting lineup unless Valverde tries something bold.

Juan Miranda, Riqui Puig, Inaki Pena, Jokin Ezkieta and Chumi have all been called up from the B team. Denis Suarez is also one of the players to benefit from these injuries due to receiving a call-up, although he’s unlikely to be involved.

Next. Sergi Roberto needs to change position. dark

Munir El Haddadi could replace Suarez or if Valverde wants to try a different set-up then he could play Messi as a ‘false 9’ with Malcom and Ousmane Dembele making runs past him to stretch the defence vertically. The Argentine’s passing ability over distance means this could be a deadly combination.

PSV are the ideal team to try this against because they are a talented side, but the result isn’t hugely significant. Barca only need three points from the last two games to secure first place in the group. In contrast, the league is tightly packed and Barcelona need to start building some momentum to pull away from the pack, so the upcoming league matches against Villarreal and Espanyol are more important than the PSV clash.