Cádiz and Barça measure their good streaks
The people of Cadiz want to get out of the red zone at the expense of a Barça that can think about the ‘Champions’
BARCELONA, 12 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Cádiz CF receives FC Barcelona this Saturday at the Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium (9:00 p.m.), in the last of the day’s duels on matchday 31 of LaLiga EA Sports, with the need to continue on the good line of results and the desire to that the Blaugranas, who are still in the fight for the domestic championship but in the middle of a Champions League eliminator, arrive somewhat confused or relaxed at their fiefdom.
It will be a shared fight to get closer to the respective objectives. Cádiz seems to have taken breath after the arrival of Mauricio Pellegrino to the bench and has only one defeat in the last five days. Permanence is close, but still far away at the same time. And Barça wants to continue in the fight to revalidate LaLiga despite having PSG just around the corner.
From Barcelona, through the mouth of their coach, to the good 2-3 that Barça achieved at the Parc des Princes last Wednesday. The ‘culers’ need, in front of their people, to have a great European night to be in the semi-finals five years later.
Before being able to focus on the Champions League match, Xavi wants to gain confidence in Cádiz and, above all, stay in the lead. Real Madrid, who play two and a half hours before at the home of a Cup finalist RCD Mallorca, are 8 points away and Xavi knows that, if they win in Cádiz, the worst scenario would be to continue at that distance and with the Clásico in the next day.
Barça has not lost for three months, it is in a great dynamic of play and, above all, results. The improvement at a defensive level, with Jules Koundé accustomed to the right back and a central pair formed by Ronald Araujo and the very young Pau Cubarsí who seem to want to surpass Puyol and Piqué, this Barça is moving forward.
Good defenses translated into good starts and a more effective attack. Robert Lewandowski, in great condition and having a great game as a buoy in Paris – despite not scoring -, a plugged-in Raphinha who sends messages of competitiveness to the explosive and emerging Lamine Yamal, and a João Félix who wants to wake up to win his signing , this Barça is greased. More than ever with Xavi.
So if the ‘delayed start’ coach’s plan is to go to Cádiz to win, his players must go all in with him for that reason. Thus, there could be changes in the starting eleven, but more due to fatigue than because they are thinking about the European duel on Tuesday. And other changes are mandatory, such as those of Iñigo Martínez, João Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski due to suspension, all of them completing the yellow cycle.
Casualties that are added to those of Gavi and Alejandro Balde, who are still injured. On the other hand, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri González are getting better and better, with all of them already playing minutes in the first leg of the ‘Champions’ quarterfinals. Even so, it will be more complicated than usual to find a starting eleven in which youth player Héctor Fort could be a left-back and Fermín López, a starter in the center of the field to give rest to Ilkay Gündogan who has not stopped.
In Cádiz they are also believing more and more strongly in saving themselves. Since the arrival of Pellegrino, the situation has reversed and they have also won 1-0 against Granada thanks to a goal from Robert Navarro shortly after the restart. The only recent defeat was against Real Sociedad, but before that they had beaten Atlético de Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla or drawn against Rayo Vallecano and Celta de Vigo.
To receive Barça, the Argentine coach will not be able to count on José Mari, Fede San Emeterio, Kouamé and Luis Hernández, all of whom are injured, while the good news for the former ‘culer’ player is the return of striker Maxi Gómez, who trained with his teammates since the middle of this week.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
CADIZ CF: Ledesma; Carcelén, Fali, Chust, Javi Hernández; Navarro, Escalante, Alcaraz, Sobrino; Juanmi and Ramos.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Cubarsí, Fort; Christensen, Sergi Roberto, Fermín; Ferran Torres, Vítor Roque and João Félix.
–REFEREE: Pulido Santana (C. Canario).
–STADIUM: Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium.
–TIME: 21.00/Movistar LaLiga TV.