Barça says goodbye to Montjuïc for this season with a duel against Rayo Vallecano in which they will seek to mathematically seal the second place in LaLiga EA Sports which will allow him to fight for the Spanish Super Cup next season. A minimum objective that has become the burning nail that the Blaugrana team has had to cling to after a season with many ups and downs that ended in a blank.
There will still be one last match to close the League and the season, next weekend at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, against Sevilla. A meeting that Xavi and his football players hope to turn into a procedure saying goodbye to the fans this afternoon with a victory.
The feeling left by the ‘rental’ house in which the Blaugrana team has evolved this season due to the renovation works at the Camp Nou is that of not intimidating rivals like the Estadi does. But the reality is that the numbers that Barça has signed in Montjuïc are better than what the only three defeats against Real Madrid (1-2), Villarreal (3-5) and PSG (1-4) may lead one to believe.
Three defeats that did a lot of damage. The first, because the League began to escape; the second, because it caused the first crisis in the form of Xavi’s deferred resignation; and the third, because it meant saying goodbye to the Champions League. But beyond these three disappointments, Barça has only conceded one draw, against Granada, for a balance that completes with 19 victories, 53 goals for and 24 against.
Gundogan returns
The Blaugranas will try to leave a good taste in their mouths in their last game in front of their fans. It will not be a definitive goodbye to Montjuïcsince Barça will start next season at the Estadi Olímpic, where it will still evolve until the end of 2024, when the return to the Camp Nou is scheduled.
Xavi Hernández recovers Ilkay Gündogan for this match, who missed the Almería match due to suspension. A return that will allow him to distribute efforts and perhaps give a little respite to Pedri, who is coming out of a long process of chain injuries that have reduced his performance. Logic points to the return of Joao Cancelo and Andreas Christensen to the starting lineup after being substitutes in Almería. They are the only novelties that are foreseen in an eleven that will practically be the gala one.
Lewandowski does not resign from the Pichichi
The challenge is not easy, but Robert Lewandowski does not give up fighting to defend his crown as the League’s top scorer won last season. The Pole occupies fourth position in the Pichichi Trophy with 17 goals, two less than Jude Bellingham and Alexander Sorloth and three less than the current leader, Artem Dovbyk. One of the focuses of attention will be his performance and the decision that Xavi makes during the match, since he has decided to relieve his ‘9’ in four of the last five games, thus limiting his options. The situation of Vitor Roque is also in the shadows.
2024-05-18 22:31:00
#act #Montjuïc
