Hansi Flick facing the difficult task of picking up the starting eleven for Barcelona vs Inter Milan first leg | OneFootball

It was a memorable night for FC Barcelona as they won the Copa del Rey title after beating Real Madrid in the final last Saturday.

However, this win was not an easy one for the Blaugranes, as the Merengues put up a stiff fight in the final, and it was only in extra time when Jules Kounde’s strike made the difference in the Catalans’ favor after the two teams stood tied at 2-2 by the end of normal time.

In addition to this extra time, the players also kept celebrating their triumph till dawn, and all of these activities mean the players do not have a lot of time to recover to their best level ahead of another crucial game, the first leg of the UEFA Champions League tie against Inter Milan, which is set to be played on Wednesday.

Still, football does not stop, and Hansi Flick will have to make up his mind about his starting lineup for this match against Inter.

In this regard, SPORT notes that the German will face quite some difficulty, as up to seven of the player who are expected to start in the next UCL match played 100 or more minutes against Real Madrid, including Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres.

Jules Kounde celebrates after scoring the winner in extra time for Barcelona. [Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images]

Of these, only Pedri and Torres were subbed out before the end of the match, while the others played the full 120 minutes.

This game, in addition to the hectic schedule the Blaugranes have faced in the build-up to the Copa del Rey final means the Barcelona squad is pushed to the limit. But the players will just have to run the gauntlet for now, as there are still three weeks to go in which the team will have to play two matches every week.

Still, the next game is not one to rest important players, and Hansi Flick is expected to field his strongest side. Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, and Inigo Martinez are all likely to start. Ronald Araujo can also get a start if Martinez plays as a right-back, but the German will likely stick with Gerard Martin for this position.

In the midfield, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are likely to start, and the main doubt will be about the attacking midfield spot, where either Fermin or Olmo can start. In the attack, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Torres are all expected to start again, despite the fatigue they have been generating.