A back line rebuilt by necessity
Barcelona’s problem going into the match against Alavés is concentrated in defence. [1] lists Eric García, Andreas Christensen, Xavi Espart and Jules Koundé as unavailable, and says Barcelona have six absences in total. Hansi Flick himself confirmed that the four defenders are out, according to [2].
The expected response is a patched-up line. Marca reports that Flick is expected to start Brian Fariñas at right-back, with Cubarsí and Gerard Martín in central defence and Cancelo on the left. That report is a rumour rather than a confirmed team sheet, so treat it with caution. A separate Marca piece goes further on the youngster, saying Fariñas could make his first-team debut in a position he has not usually played, although he did play there in pre-season. Flick said he deserves to play now.
That is a lot of rearranging for one match. A debutant on one flank, a fullback-turned-defender question in the middle and Cancelo on the left all ask for coordination that has had little time to build.
What Alavés bring to the Camp Nou
Alavés arrive with their own selection problem. [1] says Quique Sánchez Flores is expected to use a five-man defence, and that Mikel Rodríguez is out with a serious injury. A back five suggests a side that intends to stay compact and look for moments on the break rather than contest possession.
One name to watch is Ville Koski. A [3] feature recalls how his performance against Barcelona last season changed his role at the club. Since then he has been a regular starter under Sánchez Flores, starting 12 of the last 13 matches, and Alavés exercised the purchase option on his loan. The article is retrospective and offers no team news for this match, so it says nothing about how he will be used on Saturday.
What the facts do show is a visitor with a clear, defensive plan against a home side whose own defensive unit is untested. If Alavés are to find anything, it is most likely to come against the makeshift flanks.
The shadow of a bad week
Barcelona come into this match after two defeats. They lost 2-1 at home to Real Madrid on 25 October, and before that went down 4-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on 20 October. Marca frames the Alavés match as one where Barcelona are obliged to react.
The Madrid defeat has been picked over elsewhere. A [4] feature uses the 2-1 result as its main example of José Mourinho’s tactics. It notes that Vinicius Jr was suspended and describes Real’s 4-4-2 setup and the man-marking of Pedri. Most of the piece is broader analysis of Mourinho’s philosophy, but it shows how Barcelona were contained in midfield.
Before those two losses the run was strong: a 5-2 win at Real Betis on 17 October, a 4-1 win at Galatasaray on 13 October and a 3-0 home win over Getafe on 10 October. Barcelona have scored freely and conceded plenty of goals over this stretch, which makes the defensive reshuffle more notable.
What it means
The table still looks healthy. Barcelona are first in La Liga with 27 points from 10 matches, a record of nine wins, no draws and one defeat, with 40 goals scored and 11 conceded. The only league loss is the Clásico, so one slip has not cost them the top spot.
The form line is more mixed: two defeats in the last five, both against elite opposition and both by a single goal or more, set against three wins that produced 12 goals. The attack is not the concern. The defence, with four players out, is where the match will be decided.
The site’s forecast reflects that. It gives Barcelona an 85.0% chance of winning, a 10.0% chance of a draw and 5.0% for Alavés, with a predicted score of 3-0. That is a confident call, built on the strength of the attack and home advantage rather than on defensive solidity. The fixture asks whether a rebuilt back line, possibly with a debutant, can hold against a five-man Alavés defence without giving the visitors a way back. If it does, a routine win is the likely outcome. If Fariñas and the new pairing are exposed, the margin will be tighter than the forecast suggests.
Sources
- Marca: Barcelona vs Alavés: El Barça, obligado a reaccionar marca.com ↩
- Marca: Brian Fariñas, el joven medio al que Flick medita hacer debutar... de lateral marca.com ↩
- Marca: El Barça, el rival que cambió la vida de Koski marca.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Mourinho and chaos - is Real Madrid boss misunderstood? bbc.co.uk ↩
