New attacking trio set to start together for the first time at Barcelona – report

Barcelona will face off against Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Sunday in La Liga.

The Blaugrana broke into the top four last week following a resounding 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid. And Xavi Hernandez will be hoping that his team builds on it with another victory as the race for the top four heats up.

Last game saw Barcelona field a frontline comprising Ferran Torres, Gavi and Adama Traore. While Ferran had a relatively quiet outing, the other two shone brightly and were key to the victory over Los Rojiblancos.

However, heading into the derby this weekend, SPORT (h/t FCB World) is claiming that the manager is set to tweak his attacking lineup for the game.

As per the update, Xavi will field a frontline comprising of all three January signings. It would mean that Ferran Torres and Adama Traore hold their spots while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to come into the lineup at the expense of Gavi.

The former Arsenal captain made his debut against Atletico, coming on as a substitute in the second period. With Barcelona getting reduced to ten men soon after, he did not get to show his attacking repertoire on the night.

However, he could get a chance to shine against Espanyol if the report is to be believed. Should Aubameyang get the nod in the derby, he is expected to slot in as the central striker, with Ferran and Adama likely to occupy the wide attacking roles.

Barça would still have plenty of options to tweak things if necessary with Gavi, Luuk de Jong, Ez Abde, Ferran Jutgla all available at Xavi’s disposal. Ousmane Dembele, despite his contract snub, also remains available for selection, with the manager open to using him if needed.

With third-placed Real Betis just two points ahead of the Catalans, a victory against Espanyol would allow the team to keep up the pressure on Los Verdiblancos, who will be playing Levante earlier on Sunday.