After 120 exhausting minutes in the Copa del Rey, FC Barcelona is back to everyday life in the league. The Catalans will have to do without Lionel Messi when they play against relegation-threatened Elche. In the offensive, others are now in demand, especially Ousmane Dembélé.
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When the La Liga game between FC Barcelona and FC Elche on Sunday (4:15 p.m., live im Barçawelt Live-Ticker) is kicked off, it will be exactly six years since these two teams last met. The result back then was a clear 6-0 win for Blaugrana.
In said 2014/15 season, the Franjiverdes were relegated at the end of the season, and things are not looking particularly good for the club from the province of Alicante at the moment. With 17 points after just as many games, the newcomer is only ranked 18 in the table – although they still have two catch-up games up their sleeves, including against FC Barcelona. In the league, however, Jorge Almirón’s team has not been able to win for twelve games, even though they won a respectable 1-1 draw against Real Madrid during that time.
Elche: Solid defensive, harmless attack
However, Elche was only able to score more than one goal during this entire series: on the previous day of the match in a 2-2 draw against Real Valladolid. So the shoe pinches especially on the offensive, where there are only 16 goals this season. Together with FC Getafe, CA Osasuna and SD Eibar, this is the second weakest offensive in the league – only SD Huesca is even more harmless with 14 goals.
Half of the Elche goals are due to the duo Josan and Fidel. The two wingers scored four hits each – the eight strikers in the Franjiverdes squad only scored three hits, a symbol of harmlessness.
The strength of the newcomer lies on the other side of the field: Goalkeeper Edgar Badia only had to reach behind him 23 times, which is the fourth-best value in the lower half of the table. Only Eibar, Getafe and the Athletic Club conceded fewer goals here.
Dest there – but also fit enough?
Barcelona will meet a very defensive and destructive opponent, which is not surprising, the Koeman-Elf will again have to do without Lionel Messi, who is serving his red suspension.
Sergiño Dest is back on the side of Barça. There is still a question mark behind the action of the US-American, who recently dropped out with a thigh problem, but he was reassigned to the squad by Ronald Koeman. So it could be called up as a nominal right-back, as it did against Cornellà Óscar Mingueza, which would then go to the right in favor of the offensive esprit that Mingueza does not spray.
The regular midfield trio of Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Pedri will start again in the control center. The latter played almost 50 minutes against Cornellà, which was certainly more minutes than head coach Koeman had wished for. Pedri’s creativity is needed all the more on Sunday because Messi is the most important creative player missing.
In the cup against UE Cornellà no one could immediately recommend himself for further appearances. People had hoped for more from Miralem Pjanic in particular, but the Bosnian missed penalty was emblematic of his time in Barcelona: Always trying, but if he gets a chance to prove himself, he forgives it. Debutant Ilaix Moriba was not even called up in the Elche squad.
Without Messi: Griezmann and Dembélé required
At the forefront, of course, it’s all about one question: How is Barça doing in the absence of La Pulga? Messi’s suspension, which he received for his assault in the Supercopa final against Atheltic, puts Koeman in a mess, as Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho are still injured and Martin Braithwaite has been showing for weeks that his level is not always sufficient for FC Barcelona – especially when it is used on the far left.
Antoine Griezmann in particular has to rise to the fulcrum of the Blaugrana’s attack. “He performed well in the last few games and did everything to help the team,” said Koeman, praising the French, but taking his teammates accountable: “But we also need goals from other strikers and midfielders, we can’t do that only expect from Griezmann. We have more offensive players with Dembélé, Trincão or Braithwaite – we have to do a better job to exploit the chances that the team is creating. “
Hope to be able to crack the Elche defense is therefore Ousmane Dembélé: The Frenchman is an indispensable part of the starting XI in his current form, which also underpinned his appearance against Cornellà – despite his pitifully missed penalty. His dynamism and his dribbling will also be necessary against Elche in order to break through the defensive bulwark of the Franjiverdes. Thanks to his two feet, he can play on both the left and the right wing.
Braithwaite’s poor performance recently could open another probation for Francisco Trincão. The much-cited chest loosener did not want the Portuguese to succeed in the cup game in Cornellá, but it could not be ruled out that he would get a new chance against Elche. An offensive row of three consisting of Trincão, Griezmann and Dembélé would be a strong solution, which has some potential, especially in combination with the two aft Pedri and de Jong. But then Barça would go from the real center forward, which it also needs against a defensive opponent. The choice of personnel in attack is currently not an easy decision for Koeman.
Against the Franjiverdes, the creative moments of the offensive row and the eight behind it will be of particular importance. They have to tear gaps in the defense with their passes, dribbles and castling. In any case, Barça will have to be patient unless they score the first goal early and thus lure their opponents out of cover.
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