01/24/2024 Act. at 09:52 CET
From ‘final’ to ‘final’. This is how Xavi’s Barça continues to live. If what happened in Salamanca last week was a full-blown match ball, the Villamarín thing on Sunday It was another close-range duel to stay alive in the League. Both tests have been passed more than satisfactorily and the team reaches the third head-to-head match in just six days with high morale.
Of course, the scenario is amazing. San Mamés, The Cathedral. A fiefdom with mystique and one of the purest football atmospheres in Spain. With fans that will fill the stands to overflowing and that will cheer their team on for several hours beforehand. The Copa del Rey has a special component for the lions. Let’s not forget that Athletic is still the second club with the most cup trophies at the national level. Ahead of Madrid.
A SCENARIO WITH CRUMB
The Barça team will have to fight against all these conditions. Xavi warned that “we are playing for a title against a rival that perhaps we did not want. It is an intense rival with a coach that we value a lot. We play against one of the fittest teams in the category. A brave team, that puts pressure on you; a very complicated scenario but we are prepared. A great game.”
Taking into account only the purely sports section, The Terrassa coach received the best possible news yesterday. Recover one of your mainstays. Joao Cancelo, who was injured on January 4 in Las Palmas, trained normally with the group yesterday at the Joan Gamper. Neck tunnel and medical discharge. And we already know that if the Portuguese is fit, he will want to play and will be at his best.
In fact, he already wanted to force and tried until the last minute in Arabia. But prudence prevailed and the staff and medical services have advocated letting him rest for another week and finish healing from that knee strain.
THE DILEMMA WITH CUBARSI
The Logic tells us that he will form alongside Koundé, Araujo and Balde in defense. Cubarsí left in his debut as a starter and would deserve to have continuity. But still expose it to a scenario and context of so much pressure…we’ll see.
What leaves no doubt is that they will bet on the trident of talent, of the ‘players’, in the engine room. Pedri, De Jong and Gundogan. The brains and those who must make everything flow. Up top, Ferran seems immovable, Lewy despite being relieved in the 60th minute in Seville as well and Lamine had a great game.
One of the great doubts lies precisely in if Xavi will start Joao Félix (He has been a starter in the two previous Cup ties). The Portuguese scored a key goal against Betis. Between him and Lamine ‘dances’ that last demarcation of the attacking flank.
2024-01-24 06:01:17
#Preview #AthleticFC #Barcelona #Copa #del #Rey
