FC Barcelona are set to face Atalanta in their final League Phase game of the newly formatted UEFA Champions League. The Catalan club has already secured a top-eight finish, ensuring they bypass the dreaded play-off round.
However, Hansi Flick will be eager to secure at least a second-place finish, and possibly even first if Liverpool drop points tonight. As a result, significant rotations are unlikely. The German coach will want his team to maintain their momentum and deliver a strong performance against an Atalanta side that is never easy to face.
Atalanta play with great intensity and are relentless in pressing their opponents. They remain one of the most underrated teams in Europe and consistently deliver entertaining performances for their fans. Notably, they are the reigning UEFA Europa League champions and hold the distinction of being the only team to defeat Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Heading into the game, while most of the starting XI is straightforward, Hansi Flick faces a few key decisions in midfield. The German coach has several in-form players competing for just three available spots, making his selection anything but easy. Thankfully, we don’t have to make that tough call—Flick does.
So far this season, there have been two mainstays in midfield – Pedri and Marc Casadó. If there is anything that one can be certain of against Atalanta, it is that the Barcelona number 8 is locked in to start against the Italian side, both on merit and the fact that he did not feature in the weekend against Valencia.
The other player in question here is Marc Casadó. The ex-Barca Atletic captain has been a revelation so far this season but has seen Frenkie de Jong provide genuine competition for his spot in the team in recent weeks.
The Dutch midfielder seems to have finally rediscovered his best level and with Flick taking him off and not the youngster back in the weekend, it could hint at the Dutchman starting against Atalanta.
