Barcelona starting XI against Real Betis | Copa del Rey | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are already set to kick off yet another game soon following their huge El Clasico win. The Catalan giants, this time around, will be facing off against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey. While the El Clasico definitely was a good result for Barcelona, they are expected to win here again today.

Since it is a cup game, there will be no second chances for either team. Winning here would ensure that Hansi Flick’s men can progress in the competition and end up reaching the quarterfinals. However, for that reason, Hansi Flick has decided to field a strong line up for Barcelona.

Here is the official starting line-up for the Catalan giants.

In goal, Spanish shot-stopper Inaki Pena is set to start for Barcelona. After Wojciech Szczesny received a red card in his last outing against Real Madrid, Pena became an automatic pick for Hansi Flick when it came to this match and his performances this season have been solid enough to trust him in this game.

Up ahead of him, Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsi will be the two centre-backs guarding the Barcelona goal. Due to Inigo Martinez’s recent injury, Araujo essentially became a guarantee for this game and it is now a chance for the Uruguayan defender to continue proving his worth as the chances of him staying until the end of the season seem to have increased in recent days.

On either side of the defense, the likes of Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin will take their roles as the two starting full-backs. The Frenchman was simply great against Real Madrid, and Hansi Flick will be counting on him to put in a good shift again.

Ahead of them, the midfield will be a three-man system of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Gavi. The three midfielders will be tasked with applying as much pressure on Real Betis as possible, and also ensuring that they can be as creative as possible for their forwards as well.

Right in front of those three, the trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo will be playing as the team’s frontline. Both the 17-year-old Spanish winger and the Brazilian forward were simply out of this world against Los Blancos in the previous game, and they will be hoping to continue their fine form. As for Olmo, this will be his first start since Barcelona managed to overcome his registration issue.