Barcelona -Manager Hansi Flick brought his way to a second trophy who was in charge of the Catalan side last Saturday, while his team met him against Real Madrid in extra time. Another impressive effort, but it gives Flick a selection pain for their Champions League final this Wednesday evening in Montjuic, like his Zijhost Inter.
The Italian side has many of their own selection problems, with Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard both doubts for the first stage, although the Dutch wing-back Denzel Dumfries returned this weekend in their defeat against Roma. Flick's side in theory had an extra day to rest, but between the parties the Copa Final ended almost at 1 o'clock in the morning and comes back, they have had little benefit.
Of the starting XI against Los Blancos, eight 100 minutes or more played: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres. Torres received a break for the last five minutes of the game, while Pedri was released in the first half of extra time. Despite the heavy workload, Sport (via Siempre Barca) says that Hansi Flick tends to use most of the same players for the first stage against Inter.
Alejandro Balde will undergo the tests today to see if he will be available for Wednesday, but in theory Gerard Martin will work left-back. There is a chance that Ronald Araujo will come in the middle after a solid show against Real Madrid, but Flick is more likely to arrive at the proven Martinez and Cubarsi.
Further forward, Flick pulled the entire midfield of Pedri, Dani Olmo and Frenkie de Jong during the Clasico, but that is the most likely place of change. Fermin Lopez can stand before Olmo after a strong performance, after 64 minutes before Olmo. In the meantime, the front three will probably remain the same, with Robert Lewandowski still out of operation with injury.
It will be an important test of Barcelona's fitness in the first stage, in particular, with heavy legs that appear against Los Blancos in the second half. However, injuries to Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, Bald and Lewandowski push the Blaugrana to the limit of their means. Gavi, Lopez, Araujo and Eric Garcia are probably minutes in line, while Pau Victor got a rare five -minute cameor in extra time.