Captain to be benched: Barcelona coach to make one change ahead of Atletico Madrid clash | OneFootball

Barcelona are gearing up for one of their most important matches in the league this season as they take on Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.

The Catalans cannot afford to drop points in this crucial game, considering Atletico Madrid is a direct competitor while Real Madrid, too, have momentarily reclaimed their top spot in the league table.

Keeping that in mind, one would expect Hansi Flick to make minimum changes to his starting eleven and field the strongest possible eleven against Atleti.

Flick to make just one change

According to Javi Miguel, Flick is expected to make just one change in the Barcelona lineup as they take on Los Colchoneros tonight.

That change could come in the form of Pau Cubarsi replacing Ronald Araujo in central defence, thus re-establishing his partnership with Inigo Martinez.

Cubarsi will reclaim his place in the Barcelona starting lineup (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Cubarsi was sent in Barcelona’s most recent game against SL Benfica. The youngster was suspended for that game after picking up a direct red card in the first leg.

But the Spaniard is eligible to feature in domestic matches and having gotten a good week’s rest, he is more than likely to return to action against Atletico Madrid.

Cubarsi’s return could mean Araujo will have to settle for a place on the bench, even though Flick had put great trust in the Uruguayan international for the Benfica match.

The defensive combination of Cubarsi and Martinez could be an effective strategy against Atletico Madrid. But the real risk will lie in the wider defensive positions, where both Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde must be wary about leaving spaces in behind the lines.

Other than Cubarsi coming in for Araujo, Flick is unlikely to make any changes, which means Frenkie de Jong could continue to start ahead of Marc Casado in central midfield.