Xavi Hernández will not be able to reserve anyone thinking about Sunday’s Clásico at the Bernabéu. The disappointing result last week in the first leg against Galatasaray, 0-0, leaves rather little room for maneuver for the coach in the second leg, being forced to summon all the heavyweights of the team, in a game that is presumed a new final, since the continuity of the team in Europe is at stake.
It must be remembered that after the game against the Turkish team, Barcelona will only have two training sessions before the game against Real Madrid: the first, on Friday just after landing from Istanbul, and the second, on Saturday afternoon, with just 72 hours having passed between one meeting and another.
Xavi has only left in Barcelona, and out of obligation rather than conviction, Dani Alves, not being registered in the Europa League, and the injured Ansu Fati, Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto, in addition to the reserve team players, Ez Abde and Ferran Jutglà. The rest of the first team squad traveled to Istanbul first thing in the morning to exercise this afternoon at the Nef Stadium, more popularly known as Ali Sami Yen, Galatasaray’s ‘noisy’ fiefdom.
Today, only two doubts in the eleven that will present tomorrow on the field: Ronald Araújo or Eric Garcia, accompanying Gerard Piqué in the central axis, and Frenkie de Jong or Gavi, in midfield. The rest seems quite drawn: Ter Stegen under the sticks, on the wings Sergiño Dest and Jordi Alba, while Sergio Busquets and Pedri will lead in the midfield and the offensive trident will be formed by Ousmane Dembélé, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres, after his great display against Osasuna last Sunday.
Thus, the complete list of players who have traveled to Istanbul, to play this Thursday against Galatasaray (6:45 p.m.), is as follows: Ter Stegen, Neto, Dest, Mingueza, Piqué, Lenglet, Araújo, Eric, Alba, Sergio Busquets, Pedri, Busquets, Frenkie, Nico, Riqui Puig, Dembélé, Adama, Aubameyang, Luuk, Braithwaite, Ferran, Arnau and Gavi
