Predicted line-ups: Xavi Hernandez to trust veteran in midfield in the face of stern Osasuna test
Barcelona and Osasuna know now that the prize of for winning their Spanish Supercup final is a date with Real Madrid this Sunday. The pair will go to battle on Thursday night at 20.00 CEST, with both missing key players through injury.
Chimy Avila, Nacho Vidal and Unai Garcia are set to miss out for Los Rojillo, while Gavi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Joao Cancelo, Marcos Alonso and Inigo Martinez are all set to be absent, but Xavi Hernandez did talk up Pedri’s chances of making an appearance in the match.
The Blaugrana are looking for improved performances, despite having put together three wins on the bounce, and without too many options to switch things up. Xavi said in the build-up that Joao Felix would be ‘important’, but both Diario AS and MD predict that he will be on the bench alongside Vitor Roque. In-form veteran Sergi Roberto is set to be given the nod in midfield ahead of Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez.
With Cancelo missing, Jules Kounde looks primed to return to right-back, reprising his role from last season. Without Avila, Jagoba Arrasate will almost certainly start Ante Budimir, who hit the 10-goal mark last season.
The Catalan daily back Arrasate to fill his side with midfielders, with Aimar Oroz, Jon Moncayola, Moi Gomez, Lucas Torro and Pablo Ibanez. The Madrid-based paper feel the side from Pamplona will pursue more width, with Ruben Pena and Ruben Garcia out wide instead of Ibanez and Moncayola.
Osasuna came close to taking points off Barcelona at the start of September at El Sadar, winning 2-1 with a late Robert Lewandowski penalty. Arrasate’s biggest challenge will be deciding how aggressive to be with an underpeforming Blaugrana.
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