Barça avoids being distracted at Koundé’s premiere

Barcelona has a game against Real Valladolid to establish itself in the upper part of the classification. The team led by Xavi faces Pucela’s team in a strange week after the match against Manchester City and with all the noise generated by the transfer market and the registration of Jules Koundé. After obtaining the OK from LaLiga for his registration, the French defender will be the big news in an important game for the Catalans in order to continue with the good feelings shown in the last League game.

«We are admirers of Pacheta, he has surprised me as a coach. We are facing a team that does things very well, so it will be a difficult game and we hope it will not be similar to Rayo’s. We have to go out on top to score quickly and have a more placid game », assured Xavi in ​​the press conference prior to the game that measures his team against Valladolid. The Tarrasa coach is aware of the multiple setbacks that his team has experienced at the Camp Nou in recent months against rivals such as Cádiz, Rayo on two occasions or Villarreal and flees from any type of relaxation that may have been generated after the 1 -4 against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián.

It is not for less, Barça has only won three of the last eight games they have played at the Camp Nou and Xavi knows the importance of being strong at home. A win against Pacheta’s team could catapult the Blaugranas to the top of the table and, most importantly, maintain the good feeling they had against Real. That day the culés began the clash with a grayer version but in the second part, with the entry of Ansu Fati, the best version of the entire attack front could be seen.

Those four goals made Barça smile, which just a week later will come out “in a rush” with the aim of overwhelming its rival. Xavi will have all his players, including Koundé, for whom the Barça club hopes to have the approval of LaLiga for his registration before the match. The Frenchman could be the great novelty in an eleven in which Sergio Busquets returns after the sanction that prevented him from being at the Reale Arena and in which Balde once again aims to start on the left side while waiting for new reinforcements to arrive like Mark Alonso. There are more doubts in the attacking trident, where Lewandowski is fixed after resting against Manchester City and Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Dembélé and Raphinha are debating for two positions.

Pacheta, without fear

It will be a complex game for Barcelona because they will face a rival who arrives with relative urgency. It is matchday 3 but the calendar does not give a break to a Valladolid that wants to come out with something in the Everest bag with which the season has started. Those from Pacheta visit the Camp Nou after facing Villarreal at the José Zorrilla Stadium (0-3) and Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán (1-1). These two results have not made a dent in their coach, who faces the match with the illusion of adding the three points. “The statistics are there to break them, we are going to fight and win because there is little to lose,” he declared.

For this, the Burgos coach will not yet have the recently signed Feddal. “It’s still green to be able to play,” Pacheta declared. Nor will El Yamiq be out due to suspension and Gonzalo Plata, Mickaël Malsa and Shon Weissman due to injury. The loss of the Israeli, absent for much of the preseason and a key player in promotion with 20 goals, will be the great absence of a team that will land at the Camp Nou with the ambition of achieving the victory.