Report hints at Barcelona starting lineup for Copa final against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Following the 1-0 win over Mallorca in their last league match, FC Barcelona are now set to play for another trophy as they have the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid scheduled for the coming Saturday.

Keeping in view this crucial game, Hansi Flick made several changes to his starting lineup for the Mallorca match, and rested a number of his regular starters.

As Mundo Deportivo has noted, these changes can provide some hints on what is going in on Flick’s mind and the lineup he might field for the upcoming Copa final.

Most of the changes in the match against Mallorca were made in the defence, as Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, and Gerard Martin all got a rest, while Alejandro Balde was unavailable due to an injury. Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, and Hector Fort played in these players’ positions. So for the cup final, Flick is likely to field a backline of Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, and Martin.

Similarly, in the midfield, Frenkie de Jong was rested in this last match, and this decision might showcase Flick’s preference to start him in the next game against Real Madrid. Although Pedri started against Mallorca, he is too important a player to be left out in a final, and thus, he will also once again start on Saturday.

The starter in the Barcelona attacking midfield position might be more difficult to predict. Dani Olmo started against the Balearic team and scored the only goal of the match. This was his first start since his recovery from an injury, and he remains the first-choice starter for Flick whenever available.

However, Fermin Lopez also played quite well when he was subbed in during the last match, and his substitution itself could be an indication that Flick might be planning to start him in the final.

The frontline is expected to be without any surprises, as Raphinha, who did not start against Mallorca, and Lamine Yamal will start on the wings. Ferran Torres has been the starting centre-forward in the cup, and this is not expected to change for the final, especially as Robert Lewandowski is out with an injury. However, Omlo will be an option to play as a false 9.