There are only a few hours left till FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich face off for their crunch League Phase tie in the UEFA Champions League. Both teams come into this game in good form, with the Catalans defeating Sevilla 5-1 in their last league match, while the Bavarians secured a 4-0 victory over Stuttgart.
For that game against Sevilla, Hansi Flick had made some changes in his line-up. However, for the upcoming game against a side as dangerous as Bayern Munich, he will not be experimenting too much with the team.
However, as Dani Olmo did not play even a single minute against Sevilla, there is an open spot for the attacking midfield position.
Raphinha played in this position against Sevilla, as Ansu Fati took his place on the wing, but against Bayern Munich, SPORT reports that Fermin Lopez will be the player who starts in this position. This will be the only change in the starting eleven over the game against Sevilla.
The €50 million-rated midfielder has fully recovered from the two injuries that he suffered in September and is likely to start against Bayern especially because he is more intense and aggressive than Ansu Fati.
His performance against Sevilla also justifies his inclusion in the starting lineup as he had a 92% passing success rate, 1 key pass, and 1 duel won in the 24 minutes he got on the pitch.
He will play in the midfield along with Casado, who will be the most positional midfielder, and Pedri, who will have greater freedom.
The Barcelona attack will be formed by Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Yamal, while the backline will remain the same as in the last game, with Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, and Balde making up the defensive line of the team. Flick has already confirmed that Pena will start in the goal.
