Three talking points ahead of Levante vs Barcelona

Resting is not an option at Barcelona as fixtures come hard and fast. Having played Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany just two days ago, the Catalans find their next game just a day away.

The clash against Levante is sandwiched between the two legs of the Europa League quarterfinals. Given that the second leg against Frankfurt is a must-win game, Xavi will have to be wise with his choices at the weekend.

If Barcelona drop points against the Valencia-based side, they will likely drop down to fourth place. However, a win will see them retain the second spot despite having two games in hand over Sevilla. Here are three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Levante.

1. Best time to rotate

The Catalans are scheduled to play five games in the next 20 days, with an average of three days between two fixtures. In such a situation, squad rotation becomes more important.

Of all the teams Barcelona play in April, Levante are the weakest on paper. Alessio Lisci’s side languish at the 19th spot of the league standings and seem set to be relegated at the end of the season.

In 30 La Liga games this season, the Valencia outfit have conceded 58 goals while only scoring 33. They average 1.1 goals per game and have a low conversion rate of 10% in front of goal.

Needless to say, Xavi will look to rest some of his stars against Levante given the tough fixture list ahead.

Sergio Busquets and Pedri could start on the bench, with Frenkie de Jong and Nico Gonzalez taking their places. In attack, too, one would expect Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres to start on the bench.

The Gabonese striker will likely be replaced by Luuk de Jong, who has overcome COVID and returned to group training. Alongside the Dutch striker will be Ousmane Dembele and Adama Traore.

2. Who will replace Gerard Pique

Pique was subbed off early in the first half against Eintracht Frankfurt after feeling discomfort in his left leg. According to the official report released by the club, the Spaniard suffers from a left adductor tendinopathy. His recovery will determine his return.

The manager was forced to bring on Clement Lenglet midweek because Ronald Araujo started the game at right-back. However, with Dani Alves available for tomorrow’s clash, situations are not as dire.

Xavi has two options on the night. The most natural choice would be to start Alves as the wingback and deploy the pairing of Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia in central defence.

However, there is an equally strong case to start Araujo at right-back and continue with Lenglet-Garcia at centre-back as the team will be forced to play it against Frankfurt again on Thursday.

Either way, it will be a big loss for Xavi to not have the services of Pique at his disposal. The Spaniard has been phenomenal under the new manager, leading the team both through words and actions. One hopes the veteran recovers soon and returns to action.

3. Finding the rhythm in attack

Barcelona under Xavi have pampered the fans once again. After witnessing the team regularly put four goals past oppositions, a one-goal win seems like a dip in form. However, there is a feeling that Barcelona did not even create many chances in Germany on Thursday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has gone 180 minutes without scoring for the first time since his move to Catalonia.

He has been in abysmal form in front of goal since the international break, and Xavi could be tempted to give Luuk de Jong a start against Levante, who returns to the squad list.

Ferran Torres has become an integral part of the club’s setup, not only through his goals but also his runs, off the ball movement and control on the ball. He is also likely to start on the bench, with Adama Traore taking his place. The third player in attack will be Dembele.

In the absence of their two attacking stars, Barcelona will have to work hard to find a way past Dani Cardenas. Yet, one would expect Dembele to combine well with de Jong, especially in the form that the Frenchman is currently in.