Three talking points ahead of Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona | La Liga GW9

Barcelona return to action one final time before the international break when they face Deportivo Alaves tomorrow afternoon in an early kickoff at Estadio Mendizorroza.

Alaves have not been on a good run of form all season, which makes the Catalans the favourites to pick up three points on Sunday.

The Vitoria-Gasteiz-based side have won three games in La Liga so far but are on a two-game losing streak heading into tomorrow’s clash. Their record against Barcelona, moreover, is poor as the Catalans are unbeaten in their past 14 encounters.

Alaves last beat Barcelona at Mendizorroza back in 2001 and Hansi Flick and Co. will look to keep their strong run of form at the venue going.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona.

A chance to pull further clear

Barcelona enter Matchday 9 on 21 of a possible 24 points with their only defeat in La Liga coming in the previous game against Osasuna.

Fielding a second-string side, Hansi Flick suffered his first defeat in the domestic competition last weekend with a 4-2 hammering. Real Madrid and Atletico, however, split points at the derby, thus largely preserving Barcelona’s lead on the table.

Flick and co. currently have a three-point cushion heading into tomorrow’s clash but stand a golden chance to improve that lead with a win.

While the Blaugrana face relatively easier opposition in Alaves, Real Madrid are pitted against third-placed Villarreal who have been on song this season. Having lost midweek in the Champions League, moreover, Los Blancos are under pressure.

There is thus a good chance the Merengues drop points later today, and while such a result will pump the Yellow Submarine to 20 points, Barcelona will take the result.

Atletico Madrid, who are fourth on the table meanwhile, face Real Sociedad at Reale Arena. The Basque side may not be flying in terms of form but are still difficult to conquer at home.

Rotations, but in balance

Hansi Flick has not rotated a whole lot so far when it comes to his four attacking players. On the one occasion he did, he went overboard and compromised the team’s unbeaten streak.

Considering that Alaves are relatively out of form, the German tactician can look to rotate and provide rest to some of the mainstays in attack especially given that they will not see much rest in the upcoming international break either.

This time, however, he must learn from his poor judgement and rotate with caution for striking the balance between regulars and youngsters is imperative.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha stand out as the players in the most need of rest as both will play vital roles for their national teams in the coming weeks. Resting both from the start, however, may be pushing it and Flick must thus plan his changes.

After playing all 90 minutes midweek, the Brazilian may well be the player better off rested tomorrow. Pablo Torre can take his place on the field with Robert Lewandowski, Yamal and Ferran Torres completing the attack.

Pedri, meanwhile, can also be given a rest ahead of an important spell under Luis de la Fuente with Frenkie de Jong taking his place in the double pivot alongside Marc Casado.

The biggest and most required rotation, however, involved Jules Kounde who has not rested a single minute all season. Hector Fort can take the Frenchman’s place in the lineup.

The end of a crisis

The past month has been difficult for Hansi Flick given the team’s long list of injuries. The crisis in midfield, in particular, left the manager without many options.

Injuries to Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez, both of whom operate in the same niche, left the German manager without a clear attacking midfielder. Raphinha and Pablo Torre did well to cover but the fact remains that the former, in particular, was overworked.

Barcelona head into the international break after tomorrow afternoon’s game and will enjoy a hiatus of two weeks from club football. Upon their return, they face formidable opponents in Bayern Munich and Real Madrid but under better circumstances.

Olmo, Fermin and even Gavi are expected to return to the squad and receive medical clearance for the next stage of the season which comes as a big boon for Flick.

In many ways, it serves as the end of a crisis period for the team in midfield and the beginning of a new phase where the manager can rotate resources with ease.

The game against Alaves is thus the final hurdle the Blaugrana must cross before their crisis unofficially ends.