Barcelona clinched the ninth win of their La Liga campaign this season as they registered a resounding 0-4 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby. The Blaugrana also went to the top spot in the league table with this win and would look to keep their winning streak intact in the Champions League when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at Nou Camp in their next encounter.
The reigning La Liga champions have already qualified for the next round of the European competition and would look to finish their group stage in style against the north London club, who are also in good form and are fresh from a dominating win against Leicester City. So, Ernesto Valverde’s men can expect to face a tough fight from Mauricio Pochettino’s side when the two giants of European football lock horns in their next fixture.
Team News
Barcelona will be relieved to have their main man up front, Luis Suarez, back in their lineup. However, players like Sergi Roberto, Samuel Umtiti, Rafinha and Malcom are all unavailable for the clash against Tottenham while midfield ace Arthur will be assessed before the match.
Goalkeeper
Marc Andre Ter Stegen had a good outing in the last match and kept a clean sheet. He would look to do the same in the next game as well as he starts in the goal for the Blaugrana.
Defence
In the absence of Samuel Umtiti, the duo of Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique will start in the backline for Barcelona. Jordi Alba will begin at the left-hand side of the defence while Nelson Semedo would put in his shift from the right to replace the injured Sergi Roberto.
Midfield
With Arthur unsure of taking the field in the next encounter, Arturo Vidal will start alongside Ivan Rakitic in the midfield. Sergio Busquets will play in the defensive midfielder position as usual.
Attack
Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals from two inch-perfect free kicks against Espanyol and would be the danger man that Spurs look to keep away from goal. With the Argentine master starting on the right-hand side as the wide attacker, Philippe Coutinho will put in the shift from the left while Luis Suarez will lead the line for the Catalan giants against the north London club.
Predicted Formation: 4-3-3
