SETTABLOID

There are several players in this FC Barcelona squad whose contracts are running out in the next two years, and one of the top priorities of the Blaugrana Sporting Department is to ensure the renewal of some of the most important of these players.

In this regard, they made significant progress yesterday, as they achieved one of their main objectives, i.e., the renewal of Ronald Araújo. The Uruguayan defender signed his new contract with the Catalan club in President Joan Laporta’s office yesterday, and with this new contract, his commitment to Barcelona goes till 2031.

In the last few weeks, the 25-year-old center-back has been strongly linked with a move away from the Blaugrana club, with Juventus keenly interested in signing him on a loan with a purchase option.

Previously, the Catalans were also reportedly open to allowing him to leave if a good offer came in, but things changed after the injury suffered by Iñigo Martínez in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid.

After that game, Deco met the player, and convinced him to remain at Barcelona, and the fruits of this meeting were enjoyed by the club yesterday as Araújo renewed his contract.

Barcelona are close to reaching a ‘financial agreement’ that could impact their pursuit of Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.

Rashford’s future at United has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months. The 27-year-old has not featured in any of United’s last nine matches but was spotted in training on Wednesday in the build-up to the Europa League clash against Rangers.

It was in Europe when Rashford last made an appearance for United, which came against Viktoria Plzen on December 12. Reports in recent weeks have claimed that several clubs, including Barcelona, may be interested in signing Rashford on loan before the January transfer window closes.

Rashford has been taking part in extra training sessions as he aims to return to Ruben Amorim’s starting line-up. The update came after Rashford gave an interview where he outlined a desire for a ‘new challenge’ back in December.

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Rashford’s links to Barcelona, with a deal on the verge of completion that could affect the United star’s future. The La Liga club are on the verge of announcing a contract extension for Ronald Araujo.

There have been rumors that Barcelona is looking to offload some players in this transfer window. Initially, the reason behind this may have been to make way for other transfers to come in. However, a change of plans is not uncommon at Barcelona, and that may be the case this time around as well.

Previously, there were reports suggesting that 24-year-old Spanish defender Eric Garcia could be on his way out of the club. With a lack of playing time and also the need to make room in the salary space, perhaps the club and player thought it best to part ways this month.

Now, however, there seems to be a change of heart for both the club and the player. Following the recent game against SL Benfica, one in which Garcia managed to grab a crucial goal for the Catalan giants, Barcelona may now be interested in retaining the services of the player.

Moreover, as highlighted by Fabrizio Romano, Hansi Flick had a direct conversation with the player after the game as well. Following that talk, the player is now open to staying at Barcelona despite the interest from other sides, including Italian club Como.

With Barcelona now refusing to part ways with the player as well, this could be a mutual decision that both parties arrive to. Furthermore, as pointed out by Carrusel Deportivo, Hansi Flick told the Spanish defender that he would not let him leave considering the kind of performance he gave.

Moving forward, it remains to be seen what happens between now and the end of the transfer window. With the potential arrival of Marcus Rashford also still hanging in the balance, there are other operations to address as well such as a potential exit for the likes of Ansu Fati.

There is considerable agreement among football fans worldwide that the Estadio de Luz may have just hosted one of the UEFA Champions League’s most exciting matches.

On a historical night in Lisbon, we saw an incredibly entertaining match between Benfica and Barcelona, creating new history with the first-ever 5-4 scoreline since the inception of the Champions League.

A match filled with calamitous errors and attacking flair was eventually capped off by Barcelona’s new-found saviour, with Raphinha guiding the ball past Anatoliy Trubin deep into stoppage time to claim all three points.

But despite the chaos, we were able to identify key tactical elements that were crucial for both teams’ attacking success (and defensive weaknesses) on the night.

Hansi Flick’s unwavering determination to instil his tactics and principles in his new Barcelona squad appeared to limit their control in the first half, creating moments of weakness which Bruno Lage’s Benfica could exploit.

However, as with Barcelona’s successes so far in this campaign, the German coach’s genius always seems to prevail.

Our tactical analysis will begin by delving into some of the key tactical moments that influenced the match, including crucial tweaks in the second half that dramatically changed the outcome.

Benfica Vs Barcelona: Starting Lineups & Formations

In an attempt to qualify for the playoff rounds of the competition, Benfica were desperate for the points necessary to avoid the dreaded zone of no return.

They started with Anatoliy Trubin in goal behind a defensive line of Alvaro Carreras, Nicolás Otamendi, Antonio Silva and Tomas Araujo.

Their midfield line of Fredrik Aursnes, Florentino Luis and Orkun Kökcü offered an exciting blend of roles and talents which looked to nullify Barcelona’s own strengths through the middle of the park.

Benfica’s attack was capped off with Kerem Aktürkoglu and Andreas Schjelderup offering a presence on the wings, with a striker in Vangelis Pavlidis who certainly knows how to find the back of the net on big occasions.

For Barcelona, a major talking point surrounded the selection of Wojciech Szczesny in goal for the Blaugrana, especially considering the benefit that Iñaki Peña would bring with his sweeping talents in behind a high defensive line.

Despite operating in varied roles and zones while in possession, Barcelona’s backline consisted of Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Pau Cubarsí, and Alejandro Balde.

The supremely talented midfield trio of Marc Casado, Pedri and Gavi lined up as an outstanding advert for Barcelona’s youth program.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal lined up on either wing for the away side.

These two players are quickly developing their ‘world-class’ tagline with outstanding performances this season.

Although there were not a lot of new arrivals in the FC Barcelona squad over the last summer transfer window, Hansi Flick’s team is still somewhat different from Xavi Hernandez’s as the role of some important players has changed considerably.

The most prominent such case is that of the midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who had to start this season with an injury from the last season and was able to make his first appearance of the season only in October.

Even after his return to the pitch, the Dutchman was lacking in confidence and spirit, and it was quite visible that he was playing with the fear of suffering a relapse following his recovery from a highly traumatic injury.

However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, things are now changing, as Frenkie is gaining more confidence in his ankle, and this increased confidence is also showing itself on the pitch.

Although he is still not a starter, with Pedri and Marc Casado being ahead of him in selection, he has been putting in improved performances off the bench.

In the La Liga match against Getafe, he replaced Casado at half-time, and against Benfica, Flick brought him on at the hour mark, when his team was still trailing on the scoreboard.

In that game, the German tactician asked Frenkie to step more into the final third to break the defense with his passing, thus sharing the burden with other creative players like Pedri and Raphinha.

His performance in that game was quite encouraging, but now, he needs to improve even further. He is not only one of the highest-paid players in the squad, but there is also no doubt about his quality and it is clear that he can contribute a lot going forward and help Barcelona in the final and decisive half of the season.