Real Valladolid vs Barcelona: Predicted starting XI for Quique Setien
Barcelona still clinging to league title hope.
Barcelona are coming off a drab performance against city rivals Espanyol. A Luis Suarez goal was the only goal in the game but it was enough to see Espanyol relegated.
Now the team travels to face Real Valladolid who sit 14th in the table and relatively safe from relegation. On paper, this looks to be an easy opponent for the Catalans.
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But their form on the road has left much to be desired with their last game away from the Camp Nou resulting in a 2-2- draw against Celta Vigo that all but dashed any shot at the league title.
The focus for manager Quique Setien going forward should be to once and for all establish a cohesion between the front three in his attack.
Ideally it should also be about playing some of the younger players so they can fight for a spot come next season. However, with Barcelona not mathematically eliminated from La Liga, Setien is likely to field his strongest line-up until it’s officially impossible to catch up to Real Madrid.
With the Champions League draw taking place and Barcelona potentially facing a tough match-up against Bayern Munich, assuming they can get past Napoli, Setien could also be using this time to try to find a line-up that gives fluidity not only up top but in defense as well.
Another thing to look out for is whether any of the veteran players get some rest. The remaining fixtures do not look too difficult and a lot of them have played either the full game or very close to it.