The moment of truth arrives, with FC Barcelona now ready to kick off their fateful Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Tonight, the Catalan giants will find out for sure if they live to fight another day in the prestigious European competition or not.
With the stakes being this high, it was no secret that Hansi Flick would be going all out with his starting eleven. Now, with the club having confirmed the eleven players that will be starting, it seems that Flick is taking no chances.
Here is the official FC Barcelona starting eleven for this Champions League clash.
In goal, unsurprisingly, Joan Garcia starts for La Blaugrana. The Spanish goalkeeper could not do much to prevent Barça from conceding two goals in the first leg, but he will need to be at his best to ensure that Atletico Madrid do not get an early goal.
Ahead of him, with Pau Cubarsi suspended for this game, Gerard Martin and Eric Garcia have been selected to start as the two centre-backs. They will need to be alert and vigilante at all times.
On the flanks, Joao Cancelo starts as the left-back while Jules Kounde will be starting on the right. They will need to ensure that they can provide the necessary support both in attack and in defense.
As for the midfield, Pedri is joined by Gavi in the team’s double pivot. Both players will need to deliver a strong performance in this game, and they will need to ensure that Barça remains in control and they will also have to generate as many chances as possible.
In the attack, Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez start as the team’s two wide forwards. They will need to threaten the Atletico Madrid defense as much as possible, with Dani Olmo starting as the central attacking midfielder in between them.
Lastly, up top, Ferran Torres has been chosen to start things off for the Catalan giants. Barcelona will need him to be clinical, however, as every single potential goal in this game could be crucial.
