BELGRADE, SERBIA - NOVEMBER 6: Head coach Hansi Flick of Barcelona looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between FK Crvena Zvezda and FC Barcelona at Stadium Rajko Mitic on November 6, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The best Barcelona midfield setup for Atalanta clash: How Hansi Flick should approach it – Opinion

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FC Barcelona are set to face Atalanta in their final League Phase game of the newly formatted UEFA Champions League. The Catalan club has already secured a top-eight finish, ensuring they bypass the dreaded play-off round.

However, Hansi Flick will be eager to secure at least a second-place finish, and possibly even first if Liverpool drop points tonight. As a result, significant rotations are unlikely. The German coach will want his team to maintain their momentum and deliver a strong performance against an Atalanta side that is never easy to face.

Atalanta play with great intensity and are relentless in pressing their opponents. They remain one of the most underrated teams in Europe and consistently deliver entertaining performances for their fans. Notably, they are the reigning UEFA Europa League champions and hold the distinction of being the only team to defeat Bayer Leverkusen last season.

Heading into the game, while most of the starting XI is straightforward, Hansi Flick faces a few key decisions in midfield. The German coach has several in-form players competing for just three available spots, making his selection anything but easy. Thankfully, we don’t have to make that tough call—Flick does.

So far this season, there have been two mainstays in midfield – Pedri and Marc Casadó. If there is anything that one can be certain of against Atalanta, it is that the Barcelona number 8 is locked in to start against the Italian side, both on merit and the fact that he did not feature in the weekend against Valencia.

The other player in question here is Marc Casadó. The ex-Barca Atletic captain has been a revelation so far this season but has seen Frenkie de Jong provide genuine competition for his spot in the team in recent weeks.

The Dutch midfielder seems to have finally rediscovered his best level and with Flick taking him off and not the youngster back in the weekend, it could hint at the Dutchman starting against Atalanta.

While Frenkie might have added more to the team than Casadó in recent weeks, this is a game that cries out for the 21-year-old’s profile. Against a team that is as intense as Gasperini’s side, the Barcelona number 17 will be important to provide a shield in midfield and his ball-winning capabilities could end up being crucial for the Catalan side.

So, if Marc Casadó indeed starts this game as one would expect, where does that leave Frenkie de Jong? The easy solution would be to push Pedri into a more advanced role and task the Dutchman with playing the exact role that he played against Valencia back in the weekend. In this box-to-box role, the 27-year-old could add a lot of quality to the team but it comes at a cost.

While Pedri plays well irrespective of where he is deployed on the field, his influence on the ball reduces whenever he is the most advanced midfielder in a three and he is better off controlling the tempo of a game when playing as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Marc Casadó. Thus, this could mean that Frenkie de Jong might have to do with a spot on the bench for this game against Atalanta.

Locking in both Casadó and Pedri for the midfield roles, it leaves one spot open. Hansi Flick has a slightly smaller headache to worry about, with Dani Olmo out with an injury.

The La Masia graduate is one of the key contenders for this role but he won’t be available for selection against Atalanta. It is also fairly safe to rule Pablo Torre out of a starting spot against the Italian side, judging by the German coach’s selection patterns.

That leaves two players – Gavi and Fermín López. The former was rested against Valencia having continuously started a string of games starting from the Super Cup. The youngster seems to be back to his very best considering he returned from an ACL injury not long back but he only seems to have gotten better than he was before his setback.

Going by logic, it is a no-brainer for Flick to complete his midfield against Atalanta by putting Gavi into the starting line-up. However, Fermín López is coming off what is arguably his best-ever game in a Barcelona jersey. The La Masia graduate scored twice and provided two assists and was unplayable against Valencia, in such an impressive display.

Despite that out-of-the-world performance, Fermín will have to make do with a spot on the bench as Gavi deserves to start against Atalanta. He should complete a midfield that consists of Marc Casadó and Pedri and this is the best combination for Barcelona to control the ball, and add attacking impetus and defensive steel against Atalanta.

Hansi Flick has a huge decision to make for this important Champions League game. The German coach will know that the midfield might be the most functional component that could make a difference against the impressive Italian side and let’s wait and see how it plays out tonight.

Tags Barcelona vs Atalanta