The brand new UEFA Champions League format has properly and actually modified the sport. From pointless remaining match-days to at least one that may see giants playoff in must-win conditions, the league stage has been a hit.
Barcelona, nevertheless, couldn’t be extra oblivious to the significance of the ultimate spherical as they’ve already booked their place within the Spherical of 16 after the beautiful comeback win over Benfica.
On the ultimate of eight match-days within the league, Hansi Flick and Co. lock horns with Atalanta on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The one potential state of affairs they’re combating for is to overhaul Liverpool within the standings in the event that they slip up.
Having put seven objectives previous Valencia on the weekend, the Blaugrana enter the conflict in imperious kind. A win over Atalanta could be the right finish to what has been a superb league-stage marketing campaign within the UCL.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Atalanta.
An immaterial fixture
Barcelona’s tough begin to the UEFA Champions League can properly be defined by the workforce taking place a person in simply the tenth minute of the sport and the uphill battle they confronted thereafter.
Since then, nevertheless, Hansi Flick’s facet have been on fireplace in Europe and the standings are a testomony to the identical.
Heading into the ultimate of the eight match-days within the league stage of the UEFA Champions League, the Blaugrana are in second place on 18 factors.
They’ve received all of their final six video games within the competitors and have overwhelmed golf equipment together with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Benfica alongside the way in which.
Their place within the Prime 8 is thus locked in forward of the ultimate matchday and they’re going to qualify straight for the Spherical of 16 regardless of the outcome that unfolds in opposition to Atalanta. Given their snug state of affairs, the supervisor could properly deem it immaterial.
Barcelona’s state of affairs in La Liga is much from as snug and it’s clear that the Catalans have to focus extra of their assets on the home competitors.
Flick could thus go for severe rotations tomorrow and hold his males rested for the upcoming home fixtures in opposition to Alaves, Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano, and the cup sport in opposition to Valencia.
The goalkeeper debate settled
Set to start out once more. (Photograph by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Pictures)
Hansi Flick’s elaborate press convention forward of tomorrow’s conflict noticed the German supervisor tackle a plethora of subjects starting from the La Liga race to Atalanta’s type of play.
One burning matter he delivered a verdict on, nevertheless, was the way forward for the goalkeeping place going forward this season.
Since Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending damage early within the season, Inaki Pena seemed to have earned the coach’s belief with Wojciech Szczesny not even getting minutes till January.
In current video games, nevertheless, the supervisor has proven confidence in Szczesny throughout all competitions regardless of the Polish star’s drastic errors on a number of events. Talking to the media in the present day, he confirmed that Szczesny was the chosen one going forward.
Whereas it’s certainly a large blow for Pena, it’s clear that the supervisor and his workforce worth the veteran’s expertise over Pena’s development. He’ll begin tomorrow in opposition to Atalanta and certain for almost all of the season forward.
Two attacking monsters
Barcelona’s 7-1 thrashing of Valencia final weekend was vital within the workforce’s try to combat again in La Liga. It was, nevertheless a particular night time even from a statistical standpoint because it was the night time the workforce crossed 100 objectives this season.
To attain the feat simply previous the midway mark this time period is atrocious and proves why Barcelona is Europe’s most deadly attacking facet by far. Tomorrow, they lock horns in opposition to one of many subsequent most attacking groups.
Atalanta’s type of soccer below Gian Piero Gasperini has been breathtaking and impressed particularly in assault.
The Italian have scored 18 objectives within the UEFA Champions League up to now this season and are third on that entrance, solely behind Barcelona (26) and Borussia Dortmund (19). Notably, they’ve solely conceded 4 objectives within the competitors in comparison with Barcelona’s 11.
In Serie A, they’ve been equally ruthless as they’ve discovered the again of the web 48 instances in simply 22 video games and are solely behind Inter Milan in that regard.
Given Barcelona’s vibrant type of play and Atalanta’s impressed transitions and link-up sequences, tomorrow’s conflict will probably be a pleasure to comply with and might be a high-scoring night time. Notably, nevertheless, Atalanta will probably be with out their star attacker Ademola Lookman.