Barcelona no longer trusts even Barbastro. The team led by Xavi Hernández makes its debut this Sunday in the Cup against the Aragonese team in the round of 32, in a match marked by the moment of doubt that the Barça team is going through. Winning against a Second RFEF rival should be another day at the office for Barça, a formality, while losing can cause the thunderstorm to break loose again. That is the scenario that a team that does not want scares wants to avoid before traveling to Saudi Arabia to play the Spanish Super Cup.
Relaxing is prohibited. That is the maxim that Xavi wants his players to be clear about against Barbastro. The culé coach is aware of the physical and technical superiority of his team, but he also knows that in front of him there will be a group of footballers with an overwhelming desire to make history. Barbastro is playing the game of its life, it will put all its effort into action and has even expanded the capacity of its stadium from 2,800 seats to 6,000 thanks to some extra stands installed by the town council. All of those tickets have been sold and a miniature game is planned so that the Barcelona team is as uncomfortable as possible on a pitch where “the ball will roll perfectly”, as Jorge Larrosa, Barbastro's gardener, has stated.
Without this concern about the state of the grass, Xavi will be able to field a competitive eleven with which to try to avoid surprises. The Catalan coach will not be able to count on the injured Ter Stegen, Joao Cancelo, Marcos Alonso, Pedri and Gavi, but he will be able to count on Iñigo Martínez, who will reappear after overcoming the physical problems that have had him off the pitch. during the last month. The former Athletic player will be able to start alongside Christensen in an eleven in which Héctor Fort will have an opportunity on the right side, in which Oriol Romeu and Fermín López will have control in the midfield and in which Vitor Roque could make his debut as a starter in attack.
An excited rival
Barça has a lot to lose and little to gain, while Barbastro faces the diametrically opposite situation. The Huesca team is ninth in Group 2 of the Second RFEF, it is in no man's land, and it has seen in the Copa del Rey a nice opportunity to make another splash. Along the way they have already beaten Ponferradina and Almería (both 1-0) and now face the biggest possible challenge, that of defeating the champion of the highest category. The enthusiasm has overflowed throughout the city and Dani Martínez's pupils will arrive at the event in top form after adding five games in a row without losing and without a single loss in the squad. Nobody wants to miss a date marked in red on the calendar.
Probable lineups:
Barbastro: Biarge, Val, Mingoles, Jaime, Carbonell, Crespo, Javito, Israel, Gonpi, Marc Prat and Soule.
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Héctor Fort, Cubarsí, Christensen, Baldé, Fermín López, Marc Casadó, Aleix Garrido, Lamine Yamal, Marc Guiu and Vitor Roque.
Referee: Pulido Santana (Las Palmas).
Stadium and schedule: Municipal of Barbastro. 9:00 p.m. (Movistar Champions League).
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