RAYO-BARÇA
Possible lineup for Barcelona ahead of Rayo Vallecano LaLiga EA Sports matchday 3 clash
Hansi Flick could make changes from the team who beat Athletic with Casadó, Fermín and the now registered Olmo, have a chance of starting in Vallecas.
FC Barcelona are anxious to maintain their strong start to the new LaLiga campaign and will be looking for a hat-trick of wins as they visit Vallecas, home to Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday night. However trips to the Madrid neighbourhood in recent years have proven to be tricky tests for the Catalan side with Barcelona failing to secure an away win over Rayo on their past three visits to Vallecas.
Hansi Flick is not a coach who is keen on changes and if anything, the German is quite the opposite. In the post game press conference after Saturday’s win in Montjuic, the German was asked if he would start to tweak the team against Rayo Vallecano to give some of his players a rest. His answer was quite categorical. “Now it is good for the players on the pitch to know how their teammates play,” he said.
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However, it is also true that for the first time this season, teams are playing three games in the space of roughly seven days and given that were are still at the start of the new campaign, when perhaps the players are not 100% physically in optimum shape despite that not being an issue for Barcelona, who have finished strongly in both league openers.
Against Rayo Vallecano, the Barça coach may make a few tweaks to the starting line-up and perhaps one of these changes will be to give Bernal a rest, with the teenager having made two starts. Flick is set to start with Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo and Balde.
Lamine Yamal is untouchable on the right wing and Raphinha also seems a sure bet to play just behind Lewandowski. There may be a change on the left flank with Ferran Torres (who has played in the first two games) possibly making way for Fermín López. New signing Dani Olmo is also in line for some playing time in Vallecas after solving the problems with his registration in La Liga.
Up front, Robert Lewandowski is untouchable and the Polish striker has had a devastating start to the season with three goals in the first two league games.
Possible FCB eleven vs Rayo: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde, Casadó, Pedri, Lamine, Raphinha, Fermín and Lewandowski.