Fresh off their La Liga title triumph, Barcelona hit the road tonight to face a desperate Deportivo Alaves at the Mendizorrotza Stadium. The Blaugrana secured the crown last weekend with a commanding 2-0 Clasico victory over Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou, but there's still unfinished business on the table.
Hansi Flick's squad is chasing history—they're aiming to hit the 100-point mark in the league standings. To make that happen, they'll need to sweep their three remaining matches, starting with this tricky away fixture against a side fighting to avoid relegation.
Barcelona come into the contest with relatively clean bill of health, though they'll be without Lamine Yamal and Andreas Christensen. The bigger blow comes on the wing, where Raphinha is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in that decisive Clasico win.
Expect some rotation from Flick, who will want to give minutes to players who haven't seen as much action lately. It's a smart move with the season winding down and momentum still to build.
In goal, all eyes are on Joan Garcia. There's been chatter about whether Flick might rest him to protect his Zamora Trophy chances, but the manager hinted strongly in his press conference that Garcia will keep his spot. Veteran Wojciech Szczesny will have to wait for his opportunity.
The backline should see some fresh faces. Jules Kounde, who was benched for the Clasico, is set to slot in at right-back. Over on the left, Alejandro Balde could earn a rare start after falling behind Joao Cancelo in the pecking order. Captain Ronald Araujo looks poised to anchor the center of defense alongside Eric Garcia.
Perhaps the most intriguing storyline is in midfield. Frenkie de Jong appears ready to make his long-awaited return to the starting XI after patiently recovering from injury. The Dutch maestro is expected to take one of the two pivot roles, bringing his trademark composure and vision to the engine room.
It's a lineup that balances experience with opportunity—exactly what you'd want from a champion side looking to finish the season on a high note.