Barça gets cold

Words could be played with this trip to Ukraine (follow the game live on AS.com). The Barça reaches the cold, because at the time of the game about two degrees are expected in the Olimpiyskiy of Kiev. But it is possible that Barça has already reached him winter. Beaten by injuries of Ansu, Piqué and Sergi Roberto in the last two weeks (Dinamo, by the way, still is too), his results in LaLiga have him in a very compromised situation which calls into question, still in November, the reconstruction work for which Koeman arrived this summer. He looks so bad in the domestic competition that the Dutchman has preferred to leave the Argentine in Barcelona. The decision had a predictable point because Messi has played everything but 45 minutes against Betis. But it is not without its strange point. Other years, Messi traveled with Barça classified to increase records. They were different times. For Barça and for Messi.

Koeman has prioritized LaLiga and it has also been left to De Jong at home. But he knows better than anyone that, at Barça, each game is controlled and counts no matter how much it is in one comfortable position and you can afford to stumble in a place that has not been easy for you historically.

The party is an adventure. To their 21 years, and with just 90 official minutes in his backpack this year with Barça B, Mingueza will debut in the center of defense. He was not even a starter last year at the subsidiary, but the casualties of Piqué, Araújo and the missing Umtiti oblige to take that risk. The center of the field will also be a laboratory. Koeman ruled out an express return to 4-3-3 and that gives options to Aleñá, who will play with Pjanic in midfield. The absence of Messi also encourages to see Trincão and put in the focus to Griezmann. The tremendous weight of the captain allowed the French to tiptoe through his insubstantial game in the wanda. Although, these days, the news is that he plays well at Barça.