Athletic puts Barça’s growth to the test

A final to follow in Champions League positions, another one. That is what the Camp Nou will experience this Sunday against Athletic. Barcelona will face Marcelino’s men in a match that will test the euphoria unleashed after the wins against Valencia and Napoli. The Catalans are going through a great moment, but so are some lions who land in the Blaugrana fiefdom with a week off after the comfortable victory at home against the eternal rival and who have the extra motivation of seeing themselves on the verge of a new final of Copa del Rey.

“Match by match”; These are not the words of Diego Pablo Simeone, but of Xavi Hernández. The Tarrasa coach appeared at a press conference this Saturday and wanted to reduce the euphoria unleashed in Barcelona after the weighty wins against Valencia and Naples. The Tarrasa coach does not rule out his team to fight for the League, but he believes that he has not yet reached the ceiling of his team’s level. “We have to improve, we still lose unnecessary balls. We have to be ashamed to lose the ball. We are not at a very high level. There is a large room for improvement, “said the Egarense.

This room for improvement is to continue with the good feelings shown in the last few games. To do this, Xavi will not be able to count on Jordi Alba, one of the players who has stood out the most in the recent improvement of the Blaugrana, due to suspension, and neither will he be able to do so due to injury with Balde, Abde, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Umtiti. All these absences will condition a Barça that will go to the Camp Nou with the novelty in the eleven of Dani Alves, absent in the Europa League for not being registered, and with the entry into the summoned list of Memphis Depay and Clement Lenglet, both after leave behind their respective physical problems.

Barça will have a tall rival in front of them. Athletic has managed in recent weeks to find the formula to be that competitive team that Marcelino was looking for since he took control of the club. The rojiblancos are one step away from the Copa del Rey final, they will have to seal it next week at Mestalla, and they arrive at the Camp Nou with high spirits after thrashing Real Sociedad at home in the Basque derby. Europe is already within range for some lions that have specialized in roaring against the big teams and that will look for three key points to continue climbing in the classification.

To give the bell, Marcelino will be able to count on all the players in the squad except for two important casualties. Nico Williams and Berenguer will not be able to be against Barça due to injury in an eleven in which there could be rotations thinking about the important second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals against Valencia. Usual players like Yuri, Muniain or Iñaki Williams could start from the bench while waiting for how the clash evolves.