Three changes Barcelona could make to the starting lineup against Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid’s 2-4 defeat against Girona has given Barcelona enough breathing space to experiment with the depth of the team. This means when the team takes on Rayo Vallecano tonight, one can expect several changes in the starting XI.

Against Atletico Madrid last time out, Barcelona were at full strength. Barring Andreas Christensen and Ousmane Dembele, Xavi had all the players available at his disposal.

But now that the lead to the top of the table is 11 points, Xavi will want to give others a well-deserved chance against a low-block team as Rayo Vallecano. In that regard, centre-back Eric Garcia is most likely to get the nod ahead of Marcos Alonso.

Alonso, who started alongside Ronald Araujo in the centre against Atletico, was replaced with Garcia a minute after the hour-mark at Camp Nou. And tonight, the former Chelsea man could return to the bench to make way for Garcia.

Midfielder Franck Kessie was one of the two midfielders who was brought on by Xavi against Atletico. The former Milan man had replaced Frenkie de Jong but this time, he is likely to replace Ferran Torres in the starting XI, and as part of his inclusion, Gavi might be moved to the left wing.

Lastly, veteran defender Jordi Alba, who remained an unused sub against Atletico, might return to his usual place, replacing Alejandro Balde in the process. As has been the case before, Xavi likes to use Alba’s creativity and his experience to break the low block of defensive teams.

On Wednesday, Rayo are expected to sit deep and rely on counters. This means Alba’s presence and his experience of dominating the wing play will come in handy for the team.