Copa | Round of 16: FC Barcelona - Levante 4-2 agg.

Andresito said:

Vidal might play as a striker according to Valverde.

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Think that was a question and he answered something along the lines of that being an option, but not a likely one.

Actually excited for tomorrow's game. Always nice to see us playing without the top guns. Feels like more "honest" football without Messi if you know what I mean.

te amo barca said:

Actually excited for tomorrow's game. Always nice to see us playing without the top guns. Feels like more "honest" football without Messi if you know what I mean.

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me too. I would love it if we can win the Copa without the top guns. Hopefully we can get a good result.

Hope Dembele will start the game on the bench, we need him for the Liga and CL matches.

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Says Valverde trained with this 11 with Dembele as a #9.

imagine if we see Cou as a false 9 with Dembele and Malcom on the wings

Would be fun seeing that lineup.

Very interesting roster. Love it.. Finally some rest for the starting eleven.

xXKonan said:

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Says Valverde trained with this 11 with Dembele as a #9.

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Alena will need to have a very good game for Barca to win with this lineup. Miranda and Vidal are not good bringing the ball up the field, and Semedo has also had problems with this. With this make-shift backline, Busquets will be playing mainly in deep defense, he will be needed there. Neither Dembele nor Coutinho seem to be hot scorers recently, this lineup could get shut out.

I thinkboth Sergi Roberto and Arthur would be early subs if this does prove to be the starting lineup.

A bit tired of these late games. Prefer earlier kick-offs.

Thank the freakin Lord, maybe Valverde has finally came to realize that Copa should be the least of our priorities, especially this year, after we've won it 4 times in a row already. Time to bring the UCL back home instead, hopefully. Messi, Suarez and Alba should not play in the Copa at least until the semifinal and should only play after if we get through to that stage, OR if we play Real Madrid before that. Delighted to see Pique and miraculously Raki being left out as well.

Here my preferred lineup for tomorrow:

Cillessen
Semedo-Murillo-Lenglet-Miranda
Alena-Vidal-Arthur
Dembele-Malcom-Coutinho.

Get Puig, Chumi and Wague in from the bench in the 2nd half, if the result is good. If not, Busquets can always come in, maybe Roberto too, but to a midfield position, not RB. Although i wouldn't mind seeing Wague start there actually, just to see what the kid is made of and if we can count on him maybe becoming a starter for us one day, even though granted, Semedo is also rested cause he didn't play at the weekend. I would be really interested to see Malcom get a shot at that CF position, he's quite a direct player (alongside being quick and skillful of course), so he might do well in that position, hopefully we see him, although i think Dembele and Malcom will switch positions from my formation.

serghei said:

Is it legal to play Stegen as a striker? Must be. Don't think he has a regular shirt though .

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Funnily yesterday I dreamt about Ter Stegen as a Left Forward vs Levante

I like Valverde's lineup.

Only thing I would change is playing Lenglet instead of Chumi. I like Chumi (he is a very clean defender) but I don't think Levante away is the right game for a partnership with little to no Barcelona first team experience.

We will see.

On the otherhand, if we do not lose this game it means that Todibo could very well play the return leg with Murillo (if manage to secure him this window).

Finally Rakitic being rested for a change. Would`ve preffered Busquets to be rested too..But well..one baby step at a time This should be our Copa squad going forward too. Hope he doesnt fold and revert to default and start with our strongest 11 if results dont go our way...

Cillessen, Semedo, Murillo, Lenglet, Miranda, Roberto, Alena, Busquets, Arthur, Coutinho, Dembele with Coutinho in a free role and maybe 4-4-1-1 or something.

Cillessen
?? Murillo ?? Miranda
Vidal Alena ??
Malcom Dembele Coutinho
Think only one of Chumi/Wague starts and depends on it we will see one of Lenglet/Semedo. Though with this being Murillo 1st game I won't be surprised of Lenglet/Semdo or Roberto starting.
Midfield is wild one, Roberto or Busquets are likely to start IMO. Athru too might get chance over Vidal.

Joan said:

Also, no Oriol Busquets. Interesting, seems he's fallen out of favor.

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He was always behind Puig & Miranda, with our CB situation Chumi over him too. We can only play 4 B players so one slot was available and Wague earned to get a chance