FC Barcelona have been in very good form since the end of the November international break, with the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge the only chink in the armour. In La Liga, they have been perfect, recording four wins from four since the break.
Their record at the new Spotify Camp Nou has been flawless, and they will look to continue their winning streak this weekend at the partially renovated home.
As Hansi Flick and his team prepare to face the 15th-placed side from northern Spain, they will know the challenges that lie ahead, but will also be aware that a win could take them seven points clear of Real Madrid, as they play first on the matchday.
With all this in mind, here are three talking points as [Barcelona prepare to face CA Osasuna](https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/1999630657987747919?s=20) at Camp Nou.
Hansi Flick has been on something of an experimentation spree since the end of the November international break. He has tried Gerard Martin as a centre-back and Eric Garcia as a pivot ahead of Frenkie de Jong.
He has also used Lamine centrally as a No. 10 and deployed Roony Bardghji on the right. He has alternated between Ferran and Robert Lewandowski as the starting striker. He has even tried Olmo deeper in midfield and Frenkie further forward.
Tomorrow is another opportunity for Flick to play around with his starting line-up. Roony had an excellent game against Real Betis last weekend and deserves a start, although Marcus Rashford might pip him to it.
Playing Lamine through the middle is a tantalising possibility Flick may consider against Osasuna, especially given their deep block. It remains to be seen whether the German coach goes this way.
[Barcelona beat Eintracht Frankfurt thanks to Air Kounde](https://semprebarca.com/three-talking-points-as-barcelona-secure-2-1-win-over-eintracht-frankfurt/), who scored a quick-fire brace to get the Catalan side back in the game after a poor first half. It was a performance that would have given the Frenchman a lot of confidence.
Kounde has not been at his imperious best so far this season. It is mid-December, and high time the Frenchman gets his act together. Barcelona will hope the Frankfurt game proves a turning point in his season.
Barcelona do not have many right-back options, with Kounde and Eric the only choices, and the latter needed in other positions. That leaves Hansi Flick with little choice but to start the Frenchman despite his patchy form.
If Kounde can build on his performance against Frankfurt and have a good outing against CA Osasuna, it could further boost his confidence. Let us see whether the switch is finally flicked against the Pamplona-based side today.
Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong has had a strange few weeks since the Chelsea game. He missed the next couple of matches with illness and has been benched for the last two, with Eric preferred as the No. 6.
In the pre-match press conference, Hansi Flick hinted it was a tactical decision to start Eric ahead of him as a pivot against Frankfurt. It remains to be seen whether he persists with the same approach against Osasuna.
Ideally, it is time for Frenkie to return to the starting XI, with Eric moving back into central defence. This is likely in Flick’s thoughts, but the German manager can be something of an enigma in this regard. Let us wait and see what he decides against Osasuna.