FC Barcelona will try to establish itself as leader This Saturday against Real Valladolid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, in the fourth day of competition in which Hansi Flick’s team will have to overcome the numerous absences to achieve their fourth consecutive victory.
After the tight victories at Mestalla (1-2) and at home against Athletic Club (2-1), the azulgranas won again last Tuesday in Vallecas (1-2) with goals from Pedri and Dani Olmo, a match that, however, also brought a new setback: the Marc Bernal’s injury.
The young midfielder, who has been playing in the double pivot alongside Marc Casadó, will miss almost the entire season due to a torn cruciate ligament and meniscus and will join an infirmary that also includes Uruguayan Ronald Araujo, Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, Dane Andreas Christensen, Gavi and Ansu Fati.
The German coach will have to deal with this again in his second match at Montjuïc, where he wants to maintain his full league title and go into the international break as leaders. At the moment, the team has collected nine points out of a possible nine, which allows them to be first ahead of Villarreal (7) and get four points ahead of Real Madrid (5), who failed again on Thursday in Gran Canaria (1-1).
With Marc-André ter Stegen in goal and a back four made up of Frenchman Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez and Alejandro Balde, the question is how Flick will put together a midfield that has been hurt in recent weeks. Predictably, Casadó will be in charge of bringing balance to the team -or Eric García, who returned to training after overcoming plantar fasciitis-, while Pedri or Fermín López and Dani Olmo, who will make his league debut in front of the Barça fans, will supply the attacking trio, formed by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
Visitors want to keep adding points
Real Valladolid seeks to add its second victory of the campaignafter winning their debut against another newly promoted team, RCD Espanyol (1-0). They then fell at the Santiago Bernabéu (3-0) before picking up a point at home against Leganés (0-0).
The coach of the Blanquivioleta team, Paulo Pezzolano, will not be able to use Anuar, who is out until the end of September due to an inguinal hernia, nor the Brazilian Kenedy, but he will have Raúl Moro available, who was unable to finish the match against the Pepinero team due to leg cramps.
