Surprises in the XI! FC Barcelona vs. Celta: Confirmed lineups - LaLiga 24/25

OFFICIAL: The starting lineups for Hansi Flick's FC Barcelona and Claudio Giráldez's Celta de Vigo are now confirmed for the matchday 32 game of LaLiga 2024/25. The objective is to secure three points to make another significant move in LaLiga. 

FC Barcelona's Starting Lineup against Celta

Hansi Flick makes up to three changes compared to the XI from the Dortmund match. The most notable change, undoubtedly, is resting Lamine Yamal after 24 consecutive starts. Ferran Torres comes in his place. Additionally, Pedri and Iñigo Martínez return.

• Barça's Starting XI: (#25, GK) Szczesny; (#23) Koundé, (#2) Pau Cubarsí, (#5) Iñigo Martínez, (#35) Gerard Martín; (#21) Frenkie de Jong, (#8) Pedri, (#16) Fermín López; (#7) Ferran Torres, (#11) Raphinha and (#9) Lewandowski.

• Barça's Bench:  (#13, GK) Iñaki Peña; (#4) Ronald Araujo; (#6) Gavi; Ansu Fati; (#14) Pablo Torre; (#15) Andreas Christensen; (#18) Pau Víctor; (#19) Lamine Yamal; (#20) Dani Olmo; (#21) Eric García; (#31, GK) Kochen; (#32) Héctor Fort.

• Barça's Injured Players:  (#1) Ter Stegen; (#3) Alejandro Balde; (#28) Marc Bernal; (#17) Marc Casadó..

• Barça's Suspended Players: None.

Pau Cubarsí will partner Iñigo Martínez in central defense, giving Ronald Araujo a rest. Gerard Martín will start again in place of the injured Balde, while Koundé will play on the right. Meanwhile, in midfield, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López will play alongside Pedri. In the attacking trident, Ferran Torres will start instead of Lamine Yamal, alongside Lewandowski and Raphinha.

How do Hansi Flick's changes affect Barcelona's formation?

Lamine Yamal asked to be substituted before the end of the Barça-Dortmund match

After 24 consecutive starts, Lamine Yamal is on the bench. It's a decision that makes sense considering his fatigue, his lack of sharpness in the last two games, and especially looking ahead to the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid. The rest of the team is recognizable.

Raphinha, supposedly recovered from the effort in Dortmund, starts. The question is how Flick will position the players: whether the Brazilian keeps his position and Ferran Torres moves to the right, or if Raphinha replaces Lamine Yamal and the Valencian plays on the other wing.

Frenkie de Jong is not rested, and Pedri returns to the starting lineup. Flick remains committed to Fermín López in the attacking midfield role. For much of the season, he didn't get many minutes, but since Dani Olmo got injured, he has moved ahead of Gavi in the German coach's priorities.

The defensive setup: Koundé continues and Iñigo Martínez returns, who will partner Pau Cubarsí in central defense. Gerard Martín starts again, replacing the injured Alejandro Balde.

Celta de Vigo's Starting Lineup against FC Barcelona

• Celta's Starting XI: Guaita; Javi Rodríguez, Yoel Lago, Marcos Alonso; Pablo Durán, Fran Beltrán, Ilaix Moriba, Carreira; Iker Losada, Borja Iglesias and Swedberg.

• Celta's Bench:  Iván Villar, Carlos Domínguez, Jaílson, Mingueza, Ristic, Hugo Álvarez, Ceri, Damián, Sotelo, Fer López, Alfon and Iago Aspas.

For his part, Claudio Giráldez makes three other changes from his last La Liga XI. Notable is the choice of Yoel Lago due to Starfelt's absence. Additionally, Mingueza starts on the bench. Iker Losada comes in, and the Swede, Swedberg, returns.

Key Absences: Who are Barça's injured players against Celta?

The injuries to Marc-André ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, and Marc Bernal pose a significant challenge for FC Barcelona in this decisive stage of the season. Below, we detail the individual impact of each absence on Hansi Flick's team.

Ter Stegen (Starting Goalkeeper)

• Impact: Ter Stegen's absence is particularly significant due to his leadership, experience, and ability to save points in tight matches. His patellar tendon injury keeps him out of the squad lists, forcing Barça to rely on Szczesny as the starter and Iñaki Peña as the backup.

• Consequences: Although Szczesny has performed reliably, the German's absence reduces defensive security and the ability to play out from the back, two areas where Ter Stegen excels. The team loses one of the world's best goalkeepers during the most demanding part of the season.

Alejandro Balde (Starting Left-Back)

• Impact: Balde provides depth, speed, and dribbling ability on the left flank. His absence, while important, has been partially covered by Gerard Martín, who has performed adequately in defense and attack.

• Consequences: The team loses offensive capability and unpredictability on that flank, although defensive solidity is maintained. According to recent analysis, Balde's absence is significant but, among the current absentees, it has the least impact thanks to the performance of his replacement.

Marc Casadó (Defensive Midfielder)

• Impact: Casadó, a regular in the midfield rotation, suffered a partial ligament tear and will be out for two months, likely missing the rest of the season.

• Consequences: His absence reduces options for resting players in the defensive pivot role, especially when Flick needs to rotate or close out games. The squad has alternatives, but Casadó's absence limits depth in a key area, particularly given the accumulation of minutes and the risk of suspensions or injuries to other midfielders.

Marc Bernal (Midfielder, Central Midfielder)

• Impact: Bernal, one of the revelations from the youth academy (cantera), suffered a serious knee injury (anterior cruciate ligament tear) and is out for the season.

• Consequences: His absence deprives the team of a physical and tactical profile that had provided balance and energy in midfield. Bernal was a valuable alternative for physically demanding matches, and his absence forces Flick to rely more on experienced players or accelerate the development of other youngsters.

In summary, the absences of Ter Stegen, Balde, Casadó, and Bernal force Flick to rethink his strategy for the match against Celta. Defensive solidity and midfield creativity are affected, but the team relies on its squad depth to overcome this challenge.

What do you think of the lineups? Do you think Flick is right to rest Lamine Yamal?". 

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