Kounde, Raphinha start in a 4-3-3: How Barcelona could line up against Espanyol

The FIFA World Cup made football fans across the globe forget about club football for over five weeks. Every game superseded the previous one in terms of quality and drama, creating some of the most unexpected storylines.

Now, club football is back and Barcelona will return to action taking part in the Catalan Derby against Espanyol on Saturday. Xavi’s men currently lead La Liga by two points and have the upper hand heading into the second part of the season. 

Saturday’s game will not only be critical for their momentum but also in proving to their competitors that their fairytale run so far in the competition was well deserved.

Barca Universal brings you an overview of how the Blaugrana can line up against Espanyol.

Starters

The biggest talking point from Xavi’s pre-match press conference was the announcement of the fourth captain. Gerard Pique’s mid-season retirement left a vacant spot in the team’s captaincy roster and the manager officially announced that it was Marc-Andre ter Stegen who took over the armband.

The game against Espanyol will be the goalkeeper’s first after his latest appointment and he will look to display his leadership in front of Spotify Camp Nou with a worthy performance. 

All of the club’s centre-backs are available for selection but Xavi made it clear ahead of the game that Ronald Araujo would not be thrown into the deep end after his long spell on the sidelines. Further, Eric Garcia is recovering from a minor knock and may not start.

Thus, one could expect Jules Kounde to finally start in the role he signed up for alongside Andreas Christensen who had a promising run with Denmark at the World Cup.

Jordi Alba will start at left-back and hope to reassert his dominance in the position he has owned for years. His competitor, Alejandro Balde, could start at right-back given the lack of options and his underrated versatility.

The manager has a goldmine of resources in the middle of the park with five starting quality midfielders. However, it would not be wrong to say that the starting trio is quite straightforward.

Sergio Busquets is an undisputed choice in Xavi’s plans. The club still do not have a reliable backup for the defensive midfielder, guaranteeing him the starting spot.

He will likely be accompanied by Spain’s young gems Gavi and Pedri. Both Golden Boy winners made their debuts at the World Cup in Qatar, but could not steer Spain past the Round of 16. Now back together at club level, they will look to overcome the hiccups and make a difference.

Raphinha is best placed to start on the right wing against Espanyol. The Brazilian has come under severe criticism for his poor start at the club and must begin to take more responsibility on his shoulders if he is to win the manager’s trust.

Ferran Torres is in a similar position to that of his Brazilian teammate for he has not endured the best of his days since he arrived in Catalonia. In a recent interview, he assured fans that 2023 would once again see him at his best. Saturday would be the perfect day to announce his return to the world.

The final place in the starting lineup will bear the name of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish International was supposed to be suspended for the derby after being sent off against Osasuna but a dramatic turn of events has seen his suspension be put on hold.

Despite being initially ruled out for three games, the court has permitted him to take part in Barcelona’s games until they look into the matter and decide on the duration of his punishment. Thus, he will be available to feature on Saturday and will look to continue his dream start to life in La Liga.

Ferran · Lewandowski · Raphinha
Pedri · Busquets · Gavi
Alba · Christensen · Kounde · Balde
Ter Stegen

Substitutes 

Ansu Fati had been tipped to start against Espanyol when Lewandowski’s suspension was active. But with the Poland captain available, the La Masia ace could be on the bench. The past year has been anything but easy for the youngster and as 2022 draws to a close, he will look to end the year on a high.

Frenkie de Jong’s stocks at Barcelona have risen in recent months. The Dutchman will look to make the most of his minutes off the bench tomorrow. Ousmane Dembele is another player who is likely to come on as a substitute for the Catalans.