Saturday, 8 December 2018 20:45 BARCELONA TIME Saturday New York — 2.45pm ET London — 7.45pm GMT Barcelona — 8.45pm CET Cape Town — 9.45pm SAST Sunday New Delhi — 1.15am IST Sydney — 6.45am AEDT EL PRAT PREVIOUS MEETING ICF 08-03-2018 PEN Barcelona 0 : 0 Espanyol SLL 05-02-2018 FT Espanyol 1 : 1 Barcelona SCdR 26-01-2018 FT Barcelona 2 : 0 Espanyol SCdR 18-01-2018 FT Espanyol 1 : 0 Barcelona SLL 10-09-2017 FT Barcelona 5 : 0 Espanyol SLL 30-04-2017 FT Espanyol 0 : 3 Barcelona VISCAELBARCA
Lineup - a couple headaches for EV with Arthur and Coutinho (and Suarez) both cleared to play, if you start Arthur then Arturo is benched, if you start Coutinho (and Suarez) then Dembele is benched. Both Arturo and Dembele are playing well as starters and both want to keep starting, Coutinho has not been playing real well of late, Arthur though was so good that he forced his way into being a starter in Barca's midfield in his very first season here, not an easy feat. I think EV will try to play all of those players, but may start the players who are "match fit" and ease back Arthur and Coutinho as subs. Luis Suarez though goes right back to starting. Or so I'm predicting EV will start: MAtS Semedo-Pique-Lenglet-Alba Rakitic-Busquets-Vidal Messi-Suarez-Dembele Sub on Coutinho, Arthur, and Alena (or Denis or Munir)
Less of a headache given the midweek CL fixture. EV can pull them aside and tell Coutinho and Arthur that I'm starting you in midweek. They can't complain about that, surely...
19-man squad list for the match: Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Iñaki Peña Semedo, Piqué, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Vermaelen, Miranda Rakitic, Sergio, Denis Suárez, Aleñá , Vidal Coutinho, Suárez, Messi, Dembélé, Munir
So we have 3 keepers in the 19-man squad which means that either Jasper has another injury or ter Stegen picked one up, hence Inaki Pena is currently in the squad, but either he or one of the normal first teamers will wind up in the stands. The other big takeaway, related to my earlier prediction, is that while Suarez and Coutinho made the squad, Arthur did NOT. I'd already predicted Vidal getting the nod as starter, so no need to change that. Nice to see Miranda in the squad, Alba will still start but hopefully we get a nice lead and Miranda gets to spell him. I know Visca posted this above, but I like the graphic: (Arthur, Rafinha, Malcom, Samper, S. Roberto and Umtiti are all out due to injury.)
---Dembele----Suarez-----Messi--- -------------Vidal--------Rakitic-------- Alba-------------Sergio---------Semedo ----------Lenglet-------Pique-------------- -----------------TerStegen----------------- Bench: Cillessen, Vermaelen, Miranda, Aleñá, Denis Suárez, Coutinho, Munir
Ugh, not the 'atomic pink' kits! Call me traditionalist but, we should always play the derby in our home kits.
Bloody Rakitic ... we're under the kosh he gets the ball on the edge of our box and gives an easy 10 yard pass to THEM !! Ok he occasionally scores a screamer but what else does he give to the team?!