Who will Hansi Flick Start vs. PSG? | Champions League Preview

The Barcelona Podcast

Barcelona vs PSG Champions League preview: Flick's starting lineup amid defensive injuries

The host previews Barcelona vs PSG, focusing on the starting XI Flick may choose with several defenders injured and on Luis Enrique's likely PSG setup. He concludes that if Gerard Martin is fit Barcelona should keep things simple; if Martin is out Rodri could drop into center back, while starting Balde at left back or De Jong at center back is unlikely.

Hansi Flick has some choices to make against PSG if Gerard Martín can't start. Will it be Rodri at CB? The youngster Álex Campos? A shocking return to action for Frenkie de Jong? 0:00 PSG Preview 3:39 Flick's Choices for Defense 7:32 Chance for Alex Campos? 9:06 What Not to Expect Check out our merch in our store! - https://the-barcelona-podcast.creator-spring.com/ Listen to the full podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast ... Follow Me: Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/thebarcelon ... Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod Facebook ➔ https://www.facebook.com/barcablog TikTok ➔ https://www.tiktok.com/@barcelonapodcast BlueWireVideo

Transcript

People have been asking for a preview for Barcelona against PSG. And because it is PSG, the two-time defending Champions League champions, I do feel like they deserve that honor. We've seen Barcelona not necessarily, and that being Hanzi Flick, prioritize Champions League over La Liga this season, but this is also, we'll say, the biggest match so far of the league phase. Barcelona of course will have a little more wiggle room here in the league phase as opposed to La Liga where of course Real Madrid will likely turn around their form. Atletico Madrid is always a sleeping giant in Spain as well. But against PSG you got to bring your best or it could throw your Champions League campaign and also change the narrative on what you are. I will say Kouls, please, no matter what happens against PSG or Real Madrid, do not do not forget the history that this Barcelona team when healthy and fully fit have already made this season. But there are some major injuries and questions leading into this game, especially on the tactical side that I want to talk about because if these teams PSG and Barcelona were fully healthy, I could say I kind of expect at least 10 of the 11 that Hanzi Flick is going to pick and we kind of can expect between nine to 10 of the 11 that Luis Enrique is going to pick. Let's start actually with PSG with this preview because I think who Luis Enrique is going to pick, I I don't think it's going to matter much to Barcelona, honestly. I think that he's already told us with who he rotated against Strawburg who is going to start. I think it's going to be the exact same team that started last week against Man City in the Champions League with the exception of the injured Nun Mendesh. So in that it's going to be Savana who's been the number one keeper this season with Akini of course at right back. Marinos and Pacho will be that duo in the middle and then Lucas Dier will be coming in for Nuno Mendes. Remember at the World Cup it was a dign lamin that gave him the important penalty that helped Spain get past France. And then in the midfield it's Yao Neves, it's Vatiniah and his Debian Ruiz who you look at that three and you're going to say Feminine Ruiz is the worst of the bunch. Now I think the narrative should have rightly changed on him a bit. He is an elite player. He's an elite elite elite player. And that's not just people around the PSG camp and the Spain camp saying that this midfield three is probably the best in world football. Even slightly. I don't know. I don't know if I'm going to say slightly about Barcelona, but this is going to be an interesting referendum depending on the trio for Barcelona, the trio for PSG. And then up top from the team from Paris. I think instead of Cavara being somewhere on the left and Duier not starting, I think that Duier will start this match with Dembele of course in the middle. That means Feden Torres expect to see the former Barcela man in the second half and let the memes and all the trolling begin at that point. And then a he is the kind of unknown here but he hasn't been unknown for PSG now this season. He I think is going to be the starter there on the right side. But regardless of who PSG start because the DA for Nuno Mendesh is kind of already a reality. We do know that any slight tactical variation in the way that Luis Enrique plays in his 4-33 is gonna I guess have to do with a little bit more support for him. So is that going to drop Xiao Nevish or Vetina a little bit deeper to Lamini Mal side? But that was also going to happen with Nuno Mendes. We've seen that it has never been a case throughout football now for the last year that teams go 1 v one with Leini Maul and trust that for a whole 90 minutes. So, I was going to expect Matinia to be consistently shading over to Laminium all side or in other variations of that you'll see Pachcho come over to be the second help defender and then it's Febian Ruiz who will kind of drop in to help out with the center backs in behind Marinos or even in the middle just making sure there's enough bodies there right around the mixer to look out for those crosses that Leamini Maul does get against you even if you double team him. So, that does it for the PSG side of things. As I said, Luis Enrique that 4-33 kind of have come to know what to expect. It's already won two Champions leagues. For Barcelona, I've been seeing a lot of different permutations. So, let's run through some of them. Permutation one is the don't think too hard about this. Kundai is missing. Christensen is missing. Eric Garcia is missing. If Gerard Martin, and it is the big if that I think Ki Flick will keep very close to the best until it is basically game time. If Gerard Martin is healthy, don't overthink it. It's Gerard Martin pairing Kubari at the back. It'll be Shabi Spar, I think, at left back and it'll be Canelo at right back. I know tactically that's going to lead to a bunch of different things, especially with Canelo not being a more stay-at-home right back. But with Leamin Maul getting the attention that he does and with Rodri in front, that just means that Rodri is going to have to be a little bit more aware of Canelo and when he decides to get forward, which he will do a lot less of. I'm not going to say trust in Canelo to keep himself at home, but we've seen it before and this will be the permutation for Hanzi Flick at the back is starting those two fullbacks alongside Gerard Martin and Kubarci in the midfield. I think this is not going to change the rest of center back because Barcelona want to take the ball away from PSC and make them, believe it or not, be a counterattacking side solely, not given the opportunity to be comfortable in this match. I think you're going to see Danny Elmo instead of Fermy Lopez. Not to say to even limit the verticality, but the same thing with Gordon. Gordon, unlike Admy, who is very much, we'll say, "Go forward, go forward, go forward, get at it, get it, get at it." Gordon does do a good job of both creating width and then coming through the middle as well for extra support in the press. And up top, because of that cameo that Rafinia got against Betis, I again am not overthinking this. I think Rafinia at this point because we haven't heard anything different is going to start this match. Danny Almo at False Nine. Sure, it would work, but no, I think Rafina is going to be good to go for this one, which is why we heard that he might be available coming back from the break against Adaf and we haven't really seen him officially start a match until now. And even if he doesn't start, maybe he comes on in the 45th minute and we do see the Danny Almo false line experiment. Again, that's another possibility with Fermine starting underneath him. So again, not many surprises in that front grouping. Now for permutation two, which is one you have to take I think very seriously is if Gerard Martin is unavailable for this one and again no other center backs available. It's going to be Rodri dropping into center back. It is something that he has done in his career and I think in this system particularly where Barcelona has so much possession. I think Hanzi Flick will trust him in this situation. And then in front of him instead of Bernal, which does feel like the more like tolike substitute for Rodri this season as Hanzi Flick has shown you profile-wise, I think it's going to be Gabby. I think that Hanzi Flick is going to start Gabby instead of Bernal just to gum up that midfield. And not to say be a bit more supportive, but we know that Gabby, believe it or not, is more comfortable in an even deeper role than Bernol. This is Barcelona looking to play through that pressure from PSG and they want to be confident with that aspect of their game. They do not want this game to become and I'm going to say the basketball part of this kind of halfcourt offense for PSG. They want to make sure that this game if PSG are going to put them on their heels is going to have to be endto end. Yes, of course you don't want Rodri having to defend in space, but I think Hans Flick would rather prefer to have the tools and weapons to build up through the back than to say, "All right, we're going to just try to outscore PSG." I know that has been the situation all season for Hanzi Flick's team, but even in trying to outscore PSG, you could do that with this lineup again with Rafina Lein and the like, this is still a team that's going to look to beat a PSG squad that I don't think you're going to keep off the board. But this team here offensively, especially breaking through that PSG press, can put four past them even if you concede two or three. Our third premutation puts the number 41 shirt number, which tells you the youth player, on the board. Alice Compos, the 18-year-old right-footed center back, would be the starter here in what would be the biggest night of his career against PSG, of course, making his first team debut. Hafis Gibba, you're asking why is the probably highest rated center back in the academy at the moment? Why would he not be starting? Well, that's because he has not been with the club for the minimum of two years that allow you to be registered as a youth player. because he came during the winter transfer window, he has to wait until January to be registered as a youth player. So, Gibba at this point won't be seeing him. Instead, it would be composed. Again, biggest night of his career. I think we'd probably still see some other permutations with how deep this squad is. despite not having an actual center back. It's a lot to ask of a young young player who we haven't really seen in the first team orbit like we have other players that we've talked about like an Alba Karim or like a Jesse Boo or even a Jordi Pisque who we saw a ton in the preseason. Now compos we haven't really seen that much of. So I say this would be a big surprise but it would also be the most natural fit if Gerard Martine is unavailable. And of course it' be Kubarci shifting over to the left center back spot. For compost he is very good on the ball again at the level that we've seen him at. He last season already played over a thousand minutes for Bleti with Barca Athletic. So again maybe he might be ready for this opportunity but I would expect that he is just going to be on the bench as a break glass in case of emergency player. Permutation number four is anything involving Balde. For those who are saying that he would start at left back or you need that kind of profile against his PSG side, I hear you. But he's only played 12 minutes this season. Hanzi Flick has not trusted him. And I think the Hanzi Flick is more likely going to even trust a player in compost that he would expect to be around in the spring as opposed to Balbe who I think is likely gone from this club either on loan or permanently come the January transfer window. But if we do see Balbe, I think you have to start him at left center back here. Can't do it with Canelo. can't do it with Shave Spar. So, I understand maybe there's a permutation where it's Rodri starting at center back and then Bald has to be the left back. But no, it's going to be Shave Spar and Canelo in any combination before we see Balde as a start in this match. I'm so sorry. That's just the way it's going to be. That's the way the depth chart is. But if we were to see Balde get a shock start, my prediction would actually be alongside Shavepar and Canelo and being the left center back. I didn't check it, but I know he started there at least twice in his first team career. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to based on other situations. It's been a while, but I would still say, "Yeah, I guess that's what we would see if we see Baldi start this match." And finally, if you really want to laugh, consider the fifth permutation, which has Frankie D. Young starting this match at center back. Guy has not played in four months, and no respect to Frankie D. Young because when you look at all the other options and stuff, if you could just start Rodri in the midfield if Gerard Martinez is unavailable, then the player that you would trust with big game acumen is the Young over all the other situations. But Frankie D Young, as I said, has not played in four months. He's not going to just be thrown in to a different position that he has not played since a preseason years ago. No, it's not going to be Frankie D. Young. But I will say again, this idea that it would be Frankie D. Young makes sense on paper. if we had seen him even for a few minutes against Betty's but I don't think that would be the case and if he did start my guess is he would actually start at left center back and you keep Kari at right I think that's a fun little argument we can have at a later date on where Dong if he were to play center back in the long term would be but I I think it was more that Hanzi Flick wants his team to get healthy as soon as possible and looking ahead though there are some big matches even beyond Real Madrid for the next few weeks so this is a question that we continue to talk about with the Young potentially playing center back and why in training it was reported that he was playing center back. This could be an idea for two weeks time, 3 weeks time when Hanzi Flick does actually feel like yes, I know he's in the squad right now, but fully fully fit to be able to play 90 minutes like you do expect your center backs to do. It's not often that you're going to rotate center backs out of the matches. So, he's going to have to be somehow 90 minutes fit from having not played in an official match in four months. So, for D Young, him being added to this starting lineup. Yeah, it'd be a crazy different thing. So, there you go. That is your preview for PSG. Yeah, I wasn't originally going to do one, but now with all this backline injury stuff, it created a lot of discussing points. So, here's what I need from you. I need you to tell me what your starting 11 is and what four you're going to start at the back with the midfield trio that you do. I need to know that. Put it in the comments on YouTube. Hit me up on social media if you're just listening. And please subscribe to the YouTube channel. Help me out on Patreon. I also will be having that Patreon exclusive monthly content that I have that'll be coming out likely next week. So, make sure you're subscribed to Patreon so you don't miss any of that. Again, it's as low as $3 and helps me make more shows like this and helps me put more focus and effort in the podcast, including even upgrading things like the microphone, the mixer. Again, boring things that you don't want to hear about that desperately, desperately after many, many years. I'll tell you that some of my equipment over here has been in the squad since Kik Satien was in charge of the team. So yes, if Barcelona can move on from him, then it's time for me to upgrade some of my equipment. Until then though, again, it's a big help. Anyway, you can help out the show, including just saying hello on social media, Instagram, Tik Tok, all that good stuff. And until I talk to you next, look out for that five headlines against PSG after that match. And until then, for