Barcelona kick off their Copa del Rey title defense on Tuesday night with a visit to third-division outfit Guadalajara in the round of 32.
Hansi Flick’s side have experienced a bit of a resurgence after a difficult start of the season, with their 2–0 win against Osasuna at the weekend marking their seventh straight in La Liga. Aside from a nightmare night against Chelsea in Europe, Barcelona are undefeated since November.
Barcelona will face Villarreal in their final league match of the season on Sunday. Their lofty opponents are third in the standings with two games in hand and will feel confident they can end Barcelona’s league winning run to remain in the thick of the title race.
Ahead of that daunting weekend clash looming and in light of the busy schedule over the past weeks, Flick is expected to massively rotate his side against Guadalajara to protect some of his key stars. Still, Barça’s “B team” maintains a significant quality advantage and should make light work of their third division foe.
Here’s how Barcelona could line up in their Copa del Rey season debut aiming to defend their crown.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Guadalajara (4-2-3-1)
GK: Marc-André ter Stegen—Flick already revealed either Wojciech Szczęsny or Ter Stegen will start on Tuesday. Barcelona’s club captain should get the edge to make his first appearance since May in what could be an audition for other teams interested in making a move for him come the January transfer window.
RB: Eric García—The versatile García likely won’t get the night off, instead returning to the right back role where he thrived towards end of the 2024–25 season when he fully emerged as a very valuable asset in Flick’s squad.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Barcelona’s center back depth has taken a hit due to Ronald Araújo’s leave of absence, meaning Cubarsí won’t be given a rest and will lead the backline in their Copa Del Rey debut.
CB: Andreas Christensen—The former Chelsea man will make his fourth start of the term desperate to claim his opportunity in an effort to see his role increase come 2026.
LB: Jofre Torrents—La Masia left back Jofre Torrents has featured in a handful of games this term and will get his first career start with his boyhood club.
CM: Marc Bernal—Flick has rarely utilized the promising midfielder since returning from a long-term knee injury. Many still consider Bernal to be the heir to Sergio Busquets in Barça’s midfield and he’ll hope to make a positive impression to kickstart his season.
CM: Marc Casadó—Casadó has failed to live up to his early 2024–25 season heights this term but he remains a valuable asset that can operate all over the midfield.
AM: Dro Fernández—Dro’s appearances have been few and far between this season but whenever he’s been on the pitch he’s shown hints of his enormous potential. He’s one of the most promising young La Masia gems, just ask Pedri about him.
RW: Roony Bardghji—The Swedish teenager has shown glimpses of the electrifying winger he could mature to become and he’ll be eager to wreak havoc as he did in his most recent start against Real Betis.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—The veteran was given the night off last time out and he’s poised to lead the line against Guadalajara hoping to rediscover the appetite for goal he’s seemed to lack in recent games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Guadalajara: Returning Captain Leads Emerging Youngsters.
