Raphinha to operate as a false 9: Predicted 4-3-3 Barcelona lineup vs Valencia
Seeking a fourth La Liga win on the bounce, Barcelona travel to Mestalla to face Valencia on Sunday afternoon.
Hansi Flick’s side have begun their title defence in great fashion, winning all three games, scoring 12 and conceding two in the process. After beating Elche and Athletic Bilbao, they trounced Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at home on Monday night to lead the La Liga standings which has been boosted further by Real Madrid’s loss to Real Betis on Friday.
Brimming with confidence and energy, the Catalan giants will be aiming to continue their winning momentum before beginning their Champions League campaign against Feyenoord. They come up against a Valencia side boasting a record of one draw and two defeats from their first three league matches of the season.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona will be missing Frenkie de Jong (knee), Roony Bardghji (knee) and Jesse Bisiwu (contusion). However, Gavi has returned to training and could be a part of the travelling squad to Valencia.
Predicted Barcelona lineup vs Valencia (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Joan Garcia has been a reliable pair of hands since arriving at Barcelona last year. After conceding twice against Rayo Vallecano, the lanky Spaniard will be keen to keep a clean sheet at Valencia.
Defence
The back four is likely to be the same that started in the big win over Rayo. This means Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen and Xavi Espart should ideally all start in the Barcelona lineup.
World Cup winner Cubarsi should continue partnering Christensen in the heart of Barcelona’s rearguard, with Kounde and Espart retaining their full-back spots. The well-drilled Barcelona backline will be confident of taming Valencia’s toothless attack.
Midfield
Marc Bernal and Pedri are set to continue in the middle of the park for the defending champions. With their passing and movement, they will look to set the tempo of the game.
Summer signing Rodri will again be an option off the bench. The Spaniard could be the calming influence for Flick’s side if the game gets stretched.
Dani Olmo should be the glue between midfield and attack in the Barcelona lineup, trying to carve open the hosts’ defence with his vision and incisive passing.
Attack
Flick is likely to stick with Raphinha as the false No.9 in the Barcelona lineup. The Brazilian has begun the season in terrific fashion, netting five goals and registering an assist in three games already. The Brazilian will fancy getting on the scoresheet against a shaky Valencia defence.
Complementing Raphinha in the attack will be Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon. With their flair, pace and dribbling, Yamal and Gordon could create a lot of problems for the hosts.
Fermin Lopez, Karim Adeyemi and Hamza Abdelkarim should be attacking options to bring off the bench.
football formations
Raphinha to operate as a false 9: Predicted 4-3-3 Barcelona lineup vs Valencia 1