Matchday 3 of La Liga sees Barcelona pitted against Real Valladolid. The game is scheduled at the Camp Nou in a relatively early kickoff on Sunday night.
While the hosts have secured four points from their first two games, Valladolid have had a rocky start to their campaign. They began the season with a 3-0 hammering to Villarreal before drawing the second game to Sevilla.
A third winless game in a row would be devastating to Pacheta’s side. They will come out at Camp Nou gunning for a win and Xavi’s side will have to be wary of the threat. Barça Universal brings you three key talking points ahead of Sunday’s clash.
1. Enter Jules Kounde
Ahead of the summer transfer window, the centre-back position was arguably the most vulnerable in the team. While the Catalans had secured the signing of Andreas Christensen, there was a feeling that they were still short-staffed.
Gerard Pique’s age, Clement Lenglet’s imminent departure and Samuel Umtiti’s uncertain future meant that there were few quality options in central defence. That is what made the arrival of Jules Kounde so significant.
The Frenchman was one of La Liga’s best defenders in recent seasons and a potential game changer for Xavi’s side. Alongside Ronald Araujo, he would form a formidable combination to guard the Barcelona goal for years to come.
Though his arrival was sealed well before the season started, Kounde could not play the first two league games. The Blaugranas managed to register all their new signings barring him owing to a lack of space on the wage roster.
However, it now appears that La Liga made a mistake in reviewing the club’s documents the first time around. As a result, Barcelona’s appeal, through Article 92 of the league’s regulations, have allowed them to officially register Kounde.
The Frenchman’s presence in the squad comes as big news for Xavi. He could start alongside Ronald Araujo at CB, with Sergi Roberto taking the right-back spot after an impressive display against Manchester City.
2. The return of Sergio Busquets
In his very first game of the season, Sergio Busquets was given his marching orders after a rash challenge late in the game saw him get a second yellow card.
Resultantly, the veteran did not participate against Real Sociedad. To say that Barcelona missed him on the night would be an understatement.
Frenkie de Jong was deployed as part of the double pivot on the night and struggled with not only his decision-making but defensive contribution too. Pedri dropped deep to help as a defensive midfielder later in the game, thereby reducing his involvement in the final third.
As the game progressed, it became glaringly clear that the Azulgranas have no direct replacement for their captain. While this could be his last season at the club, he will continue to be a regular starter until the very last game.
3. A first start for Ansu Fati?
When Barcelona were struggling at 1-1 against La Real, it was Ansu Fati who made the difference. What made his contribution more astounding was how immediate his impact was.
The teenager came on in the 63rd minute replacing Ferran Torres. Within three minutes, he had already registered his first assist of the game via a jaw-dropping backheel pass to Ousmane Dembele.
Less than 200 seconds later, Fati was once again in the news for bagging his second assist. A lovely combination with Pedri followed by a lovely cushined pass to Robert Lewandowski was enough to seal Barcelona’s third goal of the night.
The cherry on the cake was his goal in the 79th minute. When set free in the Sociedad box by Lewandowski, the youngster showed no nerves in placing the ball into the back of the net.
After such a strong impact, it would be unfair for Fati not to receive a start. However, it is not an easy decision to make considering the teenager’s history of injuries.
If the opening games of the season are anything to go by, the Spanish international seems to have overcome his fitness concerns. Yet, it remains to be seen if Xavi is willing to take the risk so early or chooses to wait for a few more weeks before entrusting the full 90 minutes to Fati.