Barcelona will look to continue their recovery in the La Liga as they travel to Coliseum Alfonso Perez to face Getafe on Saturday.
The Spanish champions have had a disastrous start to the campaign, picking up just ten points in six matches. But, they are coming into this clash on the back of a narrow 2-1 win over Villarreal in the last game and will look to continue that winning momentum this weekend.
Here is how Ernesto Valverde’s men may line-up against Getafe.
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence
With Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti out injured, Barcelona have no option but to persist with Junior Firpo at left-back while Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet will continue to form the central defensive pairing.
It could be an excellent opportunity for Firpo to prove his credentials, after joining from Real Betis in the summer. His technical prowess on the left flank could be crucial as Barcelona look to breach the Getafe defence this weekend.
Nelson Semedo is also a guaranteed starter, with Valverde using Roberto mainly as a central midfielder this season. The Portuguese international, however, needs to produce better performances if he is to retain his role as the first-choice right-back for Barcelona.
Marc Andre ter Stegen, meanwhile, will continue to feature in between the sticks for Barca. There is a lot of controversy going on regarding his place in the German national team and the ex-Gladbach ‘keeper will look to strengthen his case by putting in an impressive display this weekend.
Midfield
Both Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic will continue to spend time on the bench as Arthur Melo and Sergio Busquets are likely to retain their role in midfield.
As for Sergi Roberto, he will make way for Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman is still yet to get his feet sorted out in Spain. But, he is getting better with time and will hopefully continue his improvement. A strong display against Getafe will serve as a massive boost in confidence for the former Ajax youngster.
Attack
Lionel Messi sustained another injury during the game against Villarreal, barely one week after returning from a spell on the sidelines. He won’t feature in this clash, paving the way for Ousmane Dembele to get his first start of the campaign.
Dembele will be deployed at right-wing, with Antoine Griezmann operating on the opposite. And finally, the Barcelona attack will be led by Luis Suarez down the middle.
