Barcelona will be defending their crown when they travel to Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2023/24 Supercopa de Espana.
Triumph in this competition over Clasico rivals Real Madrid last season was emphatic and decisive for Barcelona, with victory ensuring they landed a significant psychological blow over their primary La Liga title rivals.
Xavi’s side have been unconvincing at best this campaign, although they have found ways to win matches as of late which has kept them within touching distance of the current La Liga leaders.
Their mid-season trip to the Kingdom gives Xavi and his side a chance to refresh and reset, but they’ll also be hoping for a successful visit which culminates in silverware.
Here’s how Barcelona could line up for their Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Osasuna on Thursday.
GK: Inaki Pena – With Marc-Andre ter Stegen absent, Pena will have the chance to win some silverware in the Kingdom.
RB: Jules Kounde – Joao Cancelo has travelled to Saudi Arabia, but there are no guarantees that he’ll start on Thursday after suffering a knee injury against Las Palmas.
CB: Ronald Araujo – The dominant Uruguayan is a shoo-in. Barca’s defensive issues don’t owe much to Araujo.
CB: Andreas Christensen – It’s been a relatively stop-start season for Christensen, who hasn’t been the model of consistency he was in 2022/23. Nevertheless, he should start on Thursday if Cancelo isn’t deemed fit.
LB: Alejandro Balde – 2023/24 has so far been a pretty uninspiring campaign for Balde, but he’s expected to return to the team for Thursday’s semi-final after missing the Copa del Rey victory through illness.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – The Dutchman remains a majestic performer in the middle of the park, excelling at the base of midfield. He must stay fit during the second half of the season if Barca are to enjoy a successful campaign.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan – The German had a penchant for turning up on occasions like these towards the end of his Manchester City tenure. This may well be his best chance of earning silverware in year one.
CM: Fermin Lopez – The young midfielder scored at the weekend and is Xavi’s best option to join De Jong and Gundogan if Pedri doesn’t recover in time to start.
RW: Raphinha – Lamine Yamal is well rested but Xavi is likely to stick with the in-form Brazilian.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – Vitor Roque has so far only featured off the bench since his arrival, and that’s expected to continue in Saudi Arabia. Lewandowski scored the winner from the spot when Barca met Osasuna in September.
LW: Joao Felix – It’s a toss-up between Felix and Ferran Torres for a starting berth down the left. Ferran is the form option, but Xavi is desperate for the Portuguese international to succeed.
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