Flick Faces a Major Challenge Before Facing Atletico Madrid

Just hours before the first leg in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona’s coach Hans Flick faces a major challenge in selecting his starting lineup, following the confirmed absence of wingers Raphinha and Marcus Rashford. The Spanish newspaper ‘AS’ explained that Raphinha suffers from a muscle injury while Rashford has a knee bruise, making their participation in the match at the Metropolitano Stadium impossible.

To deal with this situation, Flick is considering the option of playing with two forwards, positioning Robert Lewandowski as the center forward alongside Ferran Torres, who would advance slightly towards the left side. The newspaper mentioned that Flick has previously adopted this plan in matches against Getafe and Atletico Madrid, due to the offensive flexibility and greater scoring ability it provides in tough matches.

The second and more likely option, according to ‘AS’, involves bringing in Casado or Bernal in midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong, giving Dani Olmo his preferred playmaker role, and moving Firmin to the left side. Recent matches have shown that Olmo and Firmin are capable of understanding each other well on the field without overlapping in spaces.

The report adds that these options allow Flick to maintain the team’s offensive level, considering the high physical fitness of the available players, which is an important factor in a match of this level against a strong team like Atletico Madrid.

Ultimately, the final lineup decision rests with Flick, who will choose the best plan to compensate for the absence of Raphinha and Rashford, making the most of the available team members, in his quest to keep Barcelona’s chances alive in reaching the Copa del Rey final.