Xavi Hernández has been thinking about the game he will play this Sunday at the Bernabéu for some time. The Barcelona coach faces his second Clasico as coach -the first ended with a defeat in extra time in the Super Cup semifinals (3-2)- with a strengthened team, especially in attack, and very convinced of their chances, after adding a two-month undefeated streak -eight wins and three draws-, which They have allowed him to climb to third place in LaLiga and continue burning stages in the Europa League.
For Xavi, something more than the three points is at stake on Sunday. And it is that a victory in the Clásico would be a definitive blow to the table to confirm that Barcelona has returned. It already happened to him as a player, when in Joan Laporta’s first season (2003/04), and with Frank Rijkaard on the bench, they stormed Madrid with a victory (1-2), where precisely the player from Egar was key in scoring the goal triumph, after a Vaseline assist from Ronaldinho and a masterful shot, without letting it fall, in semi spur.
To achieve this priority objective of recovering culé pride -in recent years the duel has always favored white interests-, Xavi is going to come out with a brave, ambitious and very balanced eleven. The main novelties will be in defense. Dani Alves returns, who did not travel to Istanbul as he was not registered in the Europa League, to which Ronald Araújo will accompany him very closely, another of the great innovations. The reason is that the Uruguayan has to be very attentive to the incursions of Vinicius junior when he escapes Alves due to speed. In this case, those who fall from the eleven are Sergiño Dest, injured, and Eric Garcia, who has added three consecutive starts.
The other great novelty will be in the attack. Ousmane Dembélé presents himself as the dagger to penetrate the band where Nacho will be, who will replace an injured Mendy. This is where the French winger has to take advantage of his speed and overflow to create superiorities and look for teammates inside the area.
Apart from these three novelties regarding the team that beat Galatasaray (1-2), the rest will remain immovable, despite the fact that they have barely had 72 hours of recovery. Ter Stegen will be under the sticks, while in defense the bet on the captains Gerard Piqué and Jordi Alba is non-negotiable. And that the center-back has had some problems in the adductor in recent weeks, which have forced him to request the change on more than one occasion. However, his presence in the eleven is guaranteed, if there is no last minute surprise. in the medullary, the bet on Sergio Busquets and Pedri is safe, as well as the presence of Frenkie de Jongwho was already substituted in the second half in Istanbul to give him some rest. And in attack, there are two players who have stolen Xavi’s heart: Ferran Torres and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang. The third man in attack will be, almost certainly, Dembélé, to the detriment of an Adama, who has clearly gone from more to less in recent games. And without forgetting Gavi: the shadow of him can appear at any moment of the game.