PBP: Copa del Rey | R16 Leg 1 | Levante v FC Barcelona | 10 January 2019 [R]

Levante had two more days rest which is not good, luckily we can rotate well with Semedo, Busquets, Alena, Coutinho and Malcolm.

 

I would also rest Messi, Suarez and Vidal for this one.

Cillesen
Semedo-Lenglet-Murillo-Alba
Dembele-Busquets-Arthur
Malcolm-Munir-Coutinho

 

Word is that we don't play Munir again barring emergencies due to injuries, as he won't re-sign with us so no use giving him minutes which we can use to cultivate players who are staying - so he may be frozen out ala Rabiot with PSG, or even have his contract rescinded if mutually agreed upon, or be sold for a pittance ahead of leaving for free on a Bosman come July 1.

 

In Copa del Rey, three accumulated bookings earns a one Copa tie suspension.

Miranda is on two yellows after having been booked in both legs against Cultural Leonesa.

 

No one on Levante is on two yellows in Copa play, but they did have Postigo red carded in their Liga match on Friday, but it was a 2nd yellow card rather than a direct red, so I think that means that it only results in a suspension in their next Liga match not this one (whereas a direct red may carry over to their Copa match too)?

Levante has 3 injuries: Armando Sadiku, Cheick Doukoure and Pedro Lopez are all still unavailable for Levante, but head coach Lopez has no injury concerns from the team that drew against Girona at the weekend. While we are still missing Samper, Vermaelen, Umtiti, and Rafinha.

Prediction - I may need to revise this once squad list is out as I really don't know which first teamers and which B Teamers will be in the squad list, since it is two Liga teams I think it will be an 18 (not 16) man squad list:

Cillessen
Semedo-Murillo-Lenglet-Miranda
Alena-Oriol Busquets-Arthur
Malcom-Suarez-Coutinho
​

Ideally get a lead and sub on Puig (if he makes the bench) or Denis to spell Arthur, sub off Suarez too (perhaps by going 4-4-2), finally spell Lenglet (bring on Chumi). If we are chasing a result late bring some normal starters off the bench, depends who is actually on the bench (leo, dembele, rakitic, s. busquets, vidal).

 

Still no squad list out but Valverde did speak about the need to rotate:
They do so on the back of a tough game against Getafe and with Eibar to come in the league at Camp Nou on Sunday. It's for that reason, Valverde says, the La Liga leaders are "obliged" to rotate when they face Levante, who they hammered in the league before Christmas.

"With a league game around the corner on Sunday, we will make changes," the coach revealed. "I am sure they will, too, even though our ambition is to get through to the next round. [Players like] Messi and Suarez could be rested, it's a possibility."

One Barca B player who was not eligible for Copa before, Wague, due to a work permit issue delaying his registration, is now Copa eligible and will be hoping the make the squad. The only problem is that we already have two players platooning at RB so minutes for Wague would keep Semedo from getting PT. Whereas at LB, where we only have Alba, it's easy to give Barca B's Miranda a start in Copa matches as Alba needs a breather. Here's more on Wague: https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/01/09/5c35381346163fdd058b45c2.html

 

I like it. EV left out the 4 of the 5 most irreplaceable players (Busquets) that we have no back-up for should they get injured or fatigued.

 

Need to update my prediction now that the squad list is out. Nothing too drastic but I did have Luis Suarez and Oriol Busquets starting, neither of which can happen.

Cillessen
Semedo-Murillo-Lenglet-Miranda
Alena-S. Busquets-Arthur
Malcom-Coutinho-Dembele​

My thinking is that it's best to play Semedo and Lenglet next to Murillo for his first outing with the club (rather than Wague or Chumi), and best to rest S. Roberto (or play him in midfield) as he got the start on the weekend. Miranda is a no brainer with Alba not in the match squad. As is Cillessen in the Copa. Hopefully get Wague on late for Semedo.

In midfield I'm thinking we start with a couple experienced players (Busquets and Arthur) alongside Alena. If we get a lead I'd rest Busquets, and play Arthur, Vidal, or Roberto at DM.

Up front all three available forwards start unless we opt for a 4-4-2, but I think we at least start 4-3-3. If a forward needs rest Denis can spell them or we can move to a 4-4-2, especially if we are protecting a lead.

 

Apparently Valverde suggested at the press conference that he might play Vidal in a more advanced role, presumably central in front of mids but behind two wing forwards. Which is sort of what I envisioned for Coutinho.

 

The Barca B kids in Valencia: Puig, Chumi, Miranda, and Wague

 

Here's all I've seen about what Valverde said, I did not know about the Chile part (bolded) and was frankly thinking it might just be a good excuse to play the more defensive 4-4-2 which worked to such good effect last year, but which EV was seemingly forced to abandon this year given the tradition of the 4-3-3 at Barca and the fact that there were critics of Barca's style last season despite the results (well ignoring Roma defeat in CL):

With Munir El Haddadi on his way out of Barcelona, the Catalan club need another backup option at the striker position and Arturo Vidal could be that man. Luis Suarez remains the starter, of course, but there'll be a need to replace him on occasion over the final few months of the season.

Vidal has performed such a role for Chile when injuries have required it in the past, and has 25 goals from his 105 caps.

As such, Ernesto Valverde is considering using the summer signing in a more advanced role on occasion. It's a possibility," he said, when asked if the midfielder could play up front in a press conference on Wednesday. "I won't deny that it has passed through my mind. "He has this impulse and always arrives in the area.
"It's an option, we'll see."
https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/01/10/5c37697046163fe5608b45a7.html

 

Cillessen
Semedo-Murillo-Chumi-Miranda
Alena-Busquets-Coutinho
Malcom-Vidal-Dembele​

or flip flop Coutinho and Vidal in a 4-3-3, or call it a 4-4-2 where both Coutinho and Vidal are mids, and both look to score.

Murillo and Chumi together seems a bit risky but Lenglet needs rest too, they kind of get to compete side by side to see who is better / who deserves to spell Pique. Funny but not too many people will lose their mind when they realize that both CBs are right footed (but when you play two left footed CBs at the same time heads explode).

Love that Malcom gets a start, while Dembele is also starting, still want to see those two flanking Messi sometime in the future. Really almost all of the squad players who don't usually start are getting starts today, plus Busquets and Vidal and Dembele.

Subs wise I'd like to rest Busquets if we can afford to do so. I want to see Wague play, always nice to see Puig play too.

 

That's some rotation alright.

 

Found this interesting comment on another board:

This was the starting lineup for the round of 16 first leg away at Celta last year:
- Cilessen
- Semedo
- Pique
- Vermaelen
- Digne
- Busquets
- Paulinho
- Gomes
- Alex Vidal
- Denis Suarez
- Arnaiz

Aside from Pique, this year’s lineup for Levante is pretty much equivalent.
By contrast, Messi started in every round of 16 first leg that Lucho managed.

EDIT - that game ended 1-1, we then beat them 5-0 at home. That home leg though started Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic, Alba, Mascherano, Pique, Semedo, Gomes, and Cillessen.

 

Yeah forgot about that. If my memory is right in Pep's era we played with almost first eleven all the time after R16. I think this is the correct time to take some chance's with the lineup.

 

Messi coming on. Sigh...

 

Messi is in Barca or in stands, not in the match squad...

 

Oh well that's good.

 

2-0 ....

 

Hope we lose so much that we don't go for it in Camp Nou.

 

I'm at work. Kids not giving a good showing?