A double-edged sword, this is how you can define Barcelona’s match at the Camp Nou against Newcastle in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. And the result of the first leg, 1-1, leaves everything open in the last 90 minutes of the tie that starts from scratch, only with the field factor in its favor.
A complicated duel that can mark the short-term future of the Blaugrana in a season in which they are always on the knife’s edge, in which the fluctuations in performance are constant, far from the solidity shown last seasonwhen they were on the verge of the Champions League final and won the Cup and League.
Out of the Cup and leading the home competition with four points ahead of Real Madrid, the European Cup is an objective that they cannot do without in a round so far from their interests such as the round of 16a round to which they have passed directly after finishing in the top eight in the regular phase.
In the first leg, Barça did not offer its best level and was overwhelmed by the English team that opted to take command of the first match of the tie. Only a penalty in injury time saved Barcelona from losing at St. James’ Park, so the loot was greater than what was shown on the pitch.
Hansi Flick, knowing that a good part of the season’s credit is at stake at the Camp Nou this Wednesday, decided to make rotations in Sunday’s League match against Sevilla, whom he beat comfortably 5-2. One of those who remained on the bench with a view to the return against the ‘Magpies’ was Lamine Yamal, the star player of the culés.
Flick’s rotations before the decisive duel
Those who were there from the beginning were Raphinha y Pedri. The Brazilian was the most outstanding man against the Spanish team, with a hat-trick, and the match served as a test bed for what is to come. However, it was surprising that the Canary Islander was there from the beginning and made him play the first half, then left him on the bench to avoid risks.
Also in the second half he chose to give Lamine minutes with the game already decided, as a warm-up so that the youth squad arrives in full form to receive Newcastle. The one who is showing a great level since his return to Barcelona is Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese was, along with Raphinha, the most outstanding footballer on Sunday, giving assists and scoring goals. Hansi Flick’s eleven will be quite similar to the one he started at St. James’ Park last Tuesday.
With Joan García as a permanent fixture under the sticks; Cubarsi in the center of the defense, where the doubt will be who will be his partner, Araujo, who was a reserve against Sevilla, or Gerard Martín. He could also go back to using Cancelo at left back and Eric García on the other side.
The center of the field will be for the Canarian ‘brain’ of the culés, Pedri, who will be accompanied by Marc Bernal that every day he is more settled in his work after De Jong’s injury. One end will be for Lamine and the other for Raphinha, with Fermín acting as hitch. Meanwhile, up front, Lewandowski has every chance to play as ‘9’.
A team with which Flick hopes to make a tie his own in which there are no favorites. If they reach the quarterfinals, Barcelona has every chance to face Atlético de Madrid, as long as they manage to eliminate another Premier team, Tottenham.
