The Camp Nou with Rosalía's Motomami playing over the public address system and on the shirts of the Barcelona players will be the scene of a classic with decisive overtones in the fight for the conquest of the League. It will be in the Blaugrana fiefdom where it will be decided whether the pulse is prolonged or it is seen for the ruling in favor of Barcelona, leader of the competition with a nine-point advantage, against a Real Madrid that yearns for a victory to enliven the championship and that is committed to the same eleven that beat Liverpool in the Champions League. For his part, Xavi is committed to the formula of four midfielders, with Sergi Roberto being chosen to replace the long-awaited and long-awaited Pedri.
With the atmosphere rarefied by the noise caused by the judicialization of the 'Negreira case', Xavi Hernández's men, who will play his first clásico in the Barça fief as a coach, have gotten used to winning their eternal rival this 2023.
Two classics have been played this year and have resulted in two victories for the Blaugrana. The first in a football exhibition in the final of the Spanish Super Cup (1-3), and the second in a formidable exercise in survival (0-1) in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
In the third episode of 2023 between the blaugranas and whites -the fourth of the course-, the leader of the League arrives with the fuel tank somewhat empty. The absence of Pedri, his lighthouse in the midfield, has left Barça without light in the engine room. Everything indicated that the canary would enter the call, but he ended the penultimate training session with bad feelings. The coaching staff of the Barça team does not want to take risks with one of his mainstays, who suffered an injury to the rectus femoris of his right thigh a month ago.
Without the midfielder from the Canary Islands in the green and with an earthy version of Robert Lewandowski, Barça has become strong at the back. With the best version of Ter Stegen under the sticks, Xavi's men have only conceded eight goals in 25 games and have subscribed to adding victories by the minimum. The defense will be made up of the unbreakable Araújo who will keep a close eye on Vinícius from the right side. The left will be for Balde while Christensen and Koundé will complete the axis of the rear.
In the midfield, Xavi again bets on the four midfielders. Without Pedri it will be Sergi Roberto who plays alongside captain Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong. Gavi will occupy the left tip of the attack as a false winger.
In front it will be Robert Lewandowski again who, accompanied by Raphinha, will try to rediscover himself with a goal that has resisted him since last February 19 when he scored in the blaugrana victory against Cádiz (2-0).
FC Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Araújo, Koundé, Christensen, Balde; Sergi Roberto, Busquets, De Jong, Gavi; Raphinha and Lewandowski.
