Official: Barcelona lineup to take on Real Betis; Messi and De Jong benched, Puig starts

In a very interesting turn of events, Ronald Koeman has named the Barcelona lineup for the game against Real Betis without Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong. The former did not get the chance to start the previous clash against Betis either, but came on to score two goals.

Riqui Puig gets the start as the left sided central midfielder, his first start of the league campaign. Alongside him will be Miralem Pjanic, who takes up the reins after Frenkie de Jong. Sergio Busquets is the only player who keeps his place in Koeman’s preferred midfield trio.

Antoine Griezmann starts yet again, and is expected to take up a false 9 role while Martin Braithwaite starts on the left. Ousmane Dembele rounds up the lineup with a place on the right wing.

Samuel Umtiti’s blunders against Granada seems to have cost him a place in central defence and Clement Lenglet returns in the lineup. Ronald Araujo will be key alongside the error-prone Frenchman, while Oscar Mingueza and Jordi Alba provide width from the back. Marc-Andre ter Stegen will guard the goal.

Confirmed XI: ter Stegen; Mingueza, Araujo, Lenglet, Alba; Pjanic, Busquets, Puig; Dembele, Griezmann, Braithwaite

Koeman seems to have prioritised the Copa del Rey over the league, giving huge importance to the clash against in form Sevilla in midweek. However, resting three key players could turn out to be extremely risky, as it did the last time around.