Barcelona had one of their most uninspiring performances in recent times when they clashed with Sevilla in the last match, resulting in a goalless draw. The team cannot afford to perform in this manner again as that would put Real Madrid in an advantageous position in the race to the title. The manager would be furious with his players as the midfield was static in the last match. This could prompt Quique Setién to make a few changes in the side when the Catalans face Athletic Bilbao in their next game. We take a look at how the team could lineup in the encounter with Los Leones.
Barcelona predicted lineup versus Athletic Club
Defence
Ter Stegen would again take up his place in goal. The centre-back pairing of Pique and Lenglet should remain the same as the manager cannot afford to take any chances in this match with his side desperate for a win.
Sergi Roberto is still recovering from an injury and should be a doubt for this match. That means we can see Semedo this time around in the right-back position and the team could be assured that the Portuguese would not commit too many errors on the defensive end, while his attacking output could be limited. Alba could again be deployed on the left side of the defence as the Spaniard would be given the liberty to move up the pitch and join the team in the attack.
Midfield
Arthur Melo did not perform to his expected level against Sevilla after coming off the bench. Still, the Brazilian should be included in the first eleven in this tie as Setién looks to add some solidity at the centre of the pitch. De Jong is suffering from a calf injury, but the young Dutchman should be back in time for the match. For the other spot, the gaffer would be in a tight place. Neither of Vidal or Rakitic performed to the desired level the other night, but one of them could feature in this game. Relatively the Croat has done better since the restart of the league, and thus our money is on the veteran midfielder taking the field on Tuesday.
Forward
The Catalan giants looked static in the final third of the pitch, and thus the manager should make some changes. Braithwaite had his worst match in a Barca shirt and therefore should be replaced by Fati. Suarez looked too slow to move, and Griezmann could take his place. Messi is a constant and the Argentine would again be entrusted to put on some magical displays.
