17-year-old starlet looking to retain a place in the Barcelona first team

Still reeling from their defeat to Paris Saint Germain which saw them get eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona already have another high-stakes match awaiting them on Sunday. The Catalans will be facing their traditional rivals, Real Madrid, at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With only seven games left in this season’s La Liga campaign and the Merengues already having an 8-point lead over them, a loss for Barcelona will effectively end their aspirations to retain the league title this season.

Fortunately for Xavi, there are only two players unavailable for this match, i.e. the long-term absences of Alejandro Balde and Gavi. The rest of the players are all available to play, as Cancelo, Inigo Martinez, and Lewandowski all served their suspensions for yellow card accumulation in the last match against Cadiz.

But this availability of players creates another problem for Xavi, as he will have to make a decision on which one player to keep out of the squad for the upcoming game. Barcelona can take only 22 players for this game, but there are currently 23 players training with the first team.

As SPORT has noted, despite the return of most of his players, Xavi still has the youngster Hector Fort training under him. However, it remains to be seen whether the Barcelona head coach will take the youngster for the Madrid trip.

Still only 17 years old, Hector Fort is already showing his talents which convince Barcelona that he can be a right-back for the first team in the future.

He still has a lot to learn to make this possibility a reality, but he has been growing at a good rate recently and has all the ingredients to succeed in this endeavor.

His personality and competitiveness are two of his characterizing traits, which the 17-year-old has already shown at the highest level despite his youth and lack of experience.

Barcelona star facing threats after a poor performance against PSG

FC Barcelona had one of their most disappointing matches against Paris Saint Germain in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals in which they crashed out of the competition because of the 6-4 aggregate win for the French side.

Barcelona had put themselves in the pole position to advance to the next round, as they enjoyed a two-goal lead against the Parisian in the tie. However, the red card to Ronald Araujo changed everything as PSG made their numerical advantage count and had scored four past the Catalans by the end of the game.

Thus, the Uruguayan has received most of the criticism for the team’s elimination from the competition. However, he was not the only player who left a lot to be desired with his performance. Another player who was well below his expected standards on the night was Joao Cancelo, whose errors also led to two goals against Barcelona.

As a result, the fanbase has not been kind to the Portuguese international after the match, but as the player himself disclosed, things have gone a bit too far this time. As SPORT has reported, the fullback mentioned how he has been receiving threats and even his family has not been spared as he talked to ESPN:

They offend my wife, my unborn daughter, my baby. Today the world is cruel, and you have to know how to live with that. Wishing death upon a baby is a very serious matter. They can criticize me as a player, as Ferdinand did, but they shouldn’t talk about my family. They should talk about me as a player, not as a person.”

Threats and bad wishes for someone’s family and welfare beyond the pitch are simply unacceptable, and this is a line that should never be crossed. But beyond that, Cancelo agreed that he did not had a good match, and deserved the criticism that was coming his way:

“I made a childish penalty, but given the circumstances of the game, my mindset, I accept the criticism. That night I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t because we had the hope of going far. In the end, when you don’t win, personally I have a lot of difficulty sleeping because I feel like I didn’t do my job well.”

“It was a strange game, and how we lost was what kept me awake. The way we lost. I feel like eleven against eleven we could have won.”

It is good to see a player accepting his mistake and hopefully, Cancelo will be able to move on from that forgettable night and get back to his best this week as Barcelona face their fiercest rivals Real Madrid in a match that can decide the current La Liga season.

Felix And Lopez To Start | 4-3-3 Barcelona Predicted Lineup Vs Real Madrid

Barcelona will lock horns with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium this Sunday as they look to earn all three points on the road in La Liga. The Catalan club suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain recently, so they would be eager to get back to winning ways this weekend.

Xavi will set his men up in a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make some changes to his first XI for this game. Both Joao Felix and Fermin Lopez could get a chance to play from the start of this Clasico.

4-3-3 Barcelona Predicted Lineup To Face Real Madrid

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will function in between the sticks for the Catalan club after shipping in four goals in his last outing. Pau Cubarsi will continue to play alongside Ronald Araujo at the centre of Xavi’s defence as they try to keep the home team at bay during the 90 minutes.

Barcelona wonderkid excited for El Clasico debut – ‘Always dreamed of playing these games’

Sunday will see FC Barcelona lock horns with their eternal rivals Real Madrid in a must-win La Liga match away at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It will be a special occasion for a certain Pau Cubarsi as he will be making his El Clasico debut, with the 17-year-old all but certain to start at the heart of the Blaugrana defence against Madrid.

And Cubarsi admitted that he has dreamt of playing these kinds of matches for Barça and that he and the team would be ready to give ‘200%’ on the night, especially given that the La Liga title race will be at stake.

“As a child, I always dreamed of playing these games, because they are special with the club of my life and also in this case these three points will be very important,” he said.

Cubarsi admitted that the Blaugrana must approach the Clasico as the biggest game of the season, saying:

“It must be approached as the most important game of the season.”

It will determine the course of the league. We must go strong and give 200% in the match and try to achieve a positive result,” the teenager added.

Following the defeat to PSG earlier in the week, Cubarsi stressed that it was critical that Barcelona fully focus on Sunday’s clash and give their everything at the Bernabeu, saying:

“We are coming from a strong shake-up in the Champions League, but we must shift the focus to the league, which is the only tournament left for us. We’ll give everything to win at the Bernabeu.”

Stressing the importance of getting a win against Real Madrid, Cubarsi added: “Getting within five points would create insecurity for the rival. If they fail and we win, we’ll get closer and closer.”

Summing up how he feels about playing for Barcelona at such a young age, Cubarsi remarked: “I feel pride and satisfaction with the work I have done all these years. I want to be myself and help the team if I have the opportunity to play and always give 200%.”

Barcelona star may get his shot at redemption against Real Madrid

Beyond just the harsh defeat in the Champions League as a group, Barcelona also struggle individually. The collective loss to Paris Saint-Germain may not have been the doing of any one player, but many seem to think so. Most fingers would simply like to point towards a certain Uruguayan defender at Barcelona.

In the early stages of the game itself, with Barcelona cruising with a two-goal cushion, something went horribly wrong. Barcelona third captain Ronald Araujo charged in on PSG forward Barcola and took him down right outside the Barça box as the last man. All that fans and players on the field saw next was a flash of red and Araujo was asked to leave the field.

With their star defender out, Barcelona struggled from start to finish. PSG took notice and made sure that Barça were punished for the one thing that they were not supposed to do. Ultimately, the 1-4 defeat at home was quite disappointing for Barcelona against the Parisians and Araujo has seen a lot of complaints go his way.

However, football has offered him his chance of redemption and it comes in the form of an away game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Against Real Madrid, as highlighted by SPORT, Araujo has a chance to make amends and prove to Barcelona that he is still the man they can count on for the future.

The El Clasico, irrespective of its long-term impact in any given season, is a fight for honor and prestige. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid treat this as a sacred encounter, and one that both sides always give it their all to win. Whether it be as a friendly or as part of an official competition, this clash always delivers.

However, even Ronald Araujo will need to deliver as well this time. The players from Barcelona are determined to redeem themselves, and perhaps no player needs to do it more than the Uruguayan defender himself. As always, the clash will see him be put up against some of the most dangerous attackers in the world.

Vinicius Jr, for instance, will likely be the Uruguayan’s direct competition again. Usually, Barcelona have to put Araujo as a right-back to ensure that the Brazilian from Real Madrid is limited, but since Los Blancos have started to count on him more centrally, the Barcelona defender may just get to compete against him in his natural position as a central defender.

Barcelona coach Xavi approached by European giants to take over as manager

Barcelona manager Xavi has remained unmoved on his decision to leave the club in June through thick and thin. Even the team’s resurgence in recent months did not change his stance, and the team’s elimination from the UCL all but seals the same.

The Catalans are said to be interested in giving Rafa Marquez a run with the senior team next season given his familiarity with the team’s ways and academy. Candidates like Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel and Roberto de Zerbi have also been linked.

With his story in Catalonia set to come to an end, there has been talk of Xavi’s potential appointment at Ajax, a club in jeopardy and struggling for identity.

SPORT provides an update on the same.

Contacts initiated

As revealed by the Catalan outlet, there have been initial approaches between Ajax and Xavi’s entourage in recent days. The interest from the Eredivisie side is real.

Current manager John van ‘t Schip has announced that he will leave Ajax in June, and the Dutch club’s need for a new manager thus coincides with Xavi’s availability.

Moreover, the Barcelona legend promises to carry forward Ajax’s legacy of Cruyffian football while his propensity to trust youngsters is also seen as a big tick at the Dutch outfit.

The Barcelona manager initially planned to take a year-long sabbatical before his next project, but the interest from Ajax could force him to reconsider.

A club in jeopardy

Despite dominating the European scene not too long ago with the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech, Ajax have seen a steep fall in recent times with the ongoing season, in particular, being a disastrous one.

The result of recruitment failures and managerial inconsistencies now has the Dutch side a staggering 33 points behind leaders and arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven in the title race.

Just coming off a stressful rebuilding project at Barcelona, it remains to be seen if Xavi is willing to take his shot at a second equally demanding job at an elite club.

BARCELONA HOLD ‘FIRST CONVERSATIONS’ OVER RENEWAL OF ANOTHER YOUNGSTER’S CONTRACT

The powers that be at La Liga giants Barcelona have informed the entourage of one of the club’s next crop of up-and-coming stars of their intention to renew his contract.

How Barcelona could line up against Real Madrid

Barcelona will be boosted by the returns of Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen for Sunday night’s La Liga contest against Real Madrid at Bernabeu.

Roberto and Christensen were both suspended for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, which Xavi‘s side lost 4-1 to exit the competition.

The duo will return to the squad for El Clasico, although Barcelona will again be missing two key players in the shape of Gavi and Alejandro Balde due to long-term knee and hamstring issues respectively.

Ronald Araujo, who was sent off in the first half against PSG last time out, will be aiming to put a difficult few days behind him when he takes to the field in the Spanish capital.

There might be just the one change from the side that started against the French champions, with Christensen potentially returning to a midfield spot, which could see Lamine Yamal drop to the bench.

Such a move would see Pedri pushed into the front three alongside Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, with Christensen featuring alongside Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan in the middle.

Inigo Martinez and Joao Felix are among those pushing to be introduced into the XI for this match, but it is likely that the pair will be among the subsitutes for the first whistle once again.

Barcelona possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; Gundogan, Christensen, F de Jong; Pedri, Lewandowski, Raphinha

ElClasico: 5 key match-ups for Real Madrid v Barcelona clash

All eyes will be on Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s latest meeting this Sunday night, when ELCLASICO takes place at the Bernabéu. This is always a big occasion, but even more so this time around given that Barça need a victory to shake up the title race and cut the gap to the league leaders.

How will Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi go about trying to secure the three points? Well, this is a match which will surely be decided by the fine margins and by a few individual duels. Here, we take a look at five match-ups which could determine who wins the game and, just perhaps, the LALIGA EA SPORTS title.

Ferland Mendy vs Lamine Yamal

The last time Lamine Yamal was at the Bernabéu, he put on a show in a friendly match for Spain against Brazil and was even given a standing ovation when he was substituted off. The 16-year-old right winger already has 10 goal contributions this LALIGA EA SPORTS season, with four goals and six assists, and is averaging 1.6 successful dribbles per game. He has caused defenders problems all season long, but this weekend he’ll be going up against Ferland Mendy, one of the best defensive-minded left-backs in world football. If Mendy can keep Lamine Yamal quiet, that would be a big boost to the home side’s chances.

Andriy Lunin vs Robert Lewandowski

When Real Madrid won that previous ELCLASICO in October, Andriy Lunin didn’t play. At that stage of the season, the Ukrainian goalkeeper was on the bench, with Kepa Arrizabalaga starting for Los Blancos at the Estadi Olímpic. However, Lunin has now won the goalkeeping gloves in the absence of the injured Thibaut Courtois and is having an excellent season. He won’t be able to win this year’s Zamora Trophy because he won’t have played enough games, but his ratio of 0.58 goals conceded per game is actually better than the 0.90 of Unai Simón, the likely winner of the prize. This Sunday, Lunin will look to impress once more and he’ll be going up against a lethal striker in Robert Lewandowski. The duel between the Ukrainian and the Pole could be the most decisive of all.

Pau Cubarsí vs Rodrygo and Vinícius

At the other end of the pitch, Real Madrid’s explosive Brazilian duo of Rodrygo and Vinícius will be looking to cause problems for the FC Barcelona defence. They have scored a combined 22 goals this LALIGA EA SPORTS season and were brilliant in the most recent ELCLASICO, when Real Madrid won 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup final and when Vinícius scored a hat-trick and Rodrygo the other goal of that game. Since these old foes last met, however, Pau Cubarsí has made his debut for FC Barcelona and wowed everybody with his performances in central defence. The 17-year-old has been so solid at the back and demonstrated excellent passing too, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in his first ELCLASICO as he takes on Rodrygo and Vini Jr.

Jude Bellingham vs Andreas Christensen

Another mid-season change FC Barcelona have made has been the decision to move Andreas Christensen out of central defence and into central midfield. Xavi realised that the Danish player could be effective in the centre of the pitch at snuffing out opposition attacks, and that would mean keeping a close eye on Jude Bellingham this Sunday night. The Englishman has been brilliant in his debut season in Spain and almost single-handedly won the first ELCLASICO of this LALIGA EA SPORTS season for his side, scoring a brilliant long-range goal and then a stoppage time winner. This time he will have to evade Christensen if he wants to be similarly impactful.

Carlo Ancelotti vs Xavi

There will also be a duel in the dugouts, as Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi try to outsmart each other. They have met in nine previous Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona duels and there has never been a draw, with five wins for the Italian and four for the Catalan coach. Over the years, they have each experimented with interesting tactical tweaks, such as moving players like Ronald Araújo or Aurélien Tchouaméni away from their usual positions. In this 10th meeting, and coming after an intense week of Champions League football, both these coaches may have another tactical trick up their sleeves at the Bernabéu.

FC Barcelona vs Chelsea FC Women: UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final clash

This Saturday, the stage is set at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona for a riveting UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final showdown between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC Women.

The match kicks off at 1:30 p.m CET (12:30 BST, 7:30 EST), promising an electrifying atmosphere reminiscent of their previous encounters, particularly last year’s semi-finals which Barcelona clinched 2-1 on aggregate.

A High Stakes Rematch

Barcelona and Chelsea are no strangers to high-stakes games, having faced each other in crucial matches, including the 2020/21 final where Barcelona triumphed 4-0. As reigning champions and two-time winners in the last three seasons, Barcelona’s dominance in European women’s football is undeniable. However, Chelsea, despite their domestic successes, are still chasing their elusive first Champions League title. This match could redefine legacies, especially as both team managers, Jonatan Giráldez of Barcelona and Chelsea’s Emma Hayes, prepare for their final campaigns before moving to roles in the United States.

Road to the Semifinals

Barcelona enters the semi-finals with a solid 5-2 aggregate victory over Brann, demonstrating their consistent form and readiness to defend their title. Chelsea, on the other hand, secured their spot with an impressive 4-1 aggregate win against Ajax, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely competitive match. With 72,262 fans having witnessed last year’s semi-final at Spotify Camp Nou, the rematch in Barcelona’s historic Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is expected to draw significant attention.

Key Players and Tactics

The game brings a blend of tactical prowess and star power. Barcelona welcomes back key players like Fridolina Rölfo and Alexia Putellas, whose goal-scoring form remains sharp, alongside Jana Fernadez, returning from a lengthy injury. Chelsea will feel the absence of key players such as Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel, putting additional pressure on their remaining squad to perform against a team that has not lost at home in over four years.

For Chelsea, recent back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Manchester United have been setbacks, diminishing their hopes for a quadruple season, but a domestic and European double remains a possibility. In contrast, Barcelona’s formidable form is highlighted by their unbeaten streak since May last year and an impressive tally of 18 goals in their last five matches.

Player Insights and Injuries

This match also features personal narratives with players like Cankovic, who has represented both clubs, and others like Batlle, Bronze, and Walsh, who bring an understanding of Chelsea’s tactics from their time in the WSL. Injury-wise, Barcelona will miss Mapi Leon, while the absences of Millie Bright and Natalie Bjorn further challenge Chelsea’s lineup.

What the Managers Say

Barcelona’s Giráldez lauds Hayes’ significant contributions to Chelsea, acknowledging her high standards and aspirations to conclude her tenure with a Champions League victory. However, he remains resolute in his goal to keep the title in Barcelona. Hayes, reflecting on Chelsea’s recent investments and achievements in women’s football, emphasizes the club’s growth and their strong form, underscoring the anticipation of a challenging but promising encounter.

As both teams prepare for this crucial face-off, the semi-final promises to display top-tier football and a battle of strategic and mental strength. With history, pride, and future legacies at stake, this match is more than just a game; it’s a pivotal moment in women’s football, showcasing the sport’s evolution and rising competition at its highest level. Fans around the globe will be tuning in this Saturday to witness another chapter in this compelling rivalry unfolding.