Okay, so I wanted to figure out what the Barcelona and Sevilla starting lineups might look like this weekend. You know, for my own interest, maybe a friendly debate or even just feeling prepared before kick-off.
Why Even Bother?
Honestly, first things first, I thought about why I care about the predicted lineup today. I mean, it’s just a prediction, right? But I gotta admit, I had a small bet riding on it with a mate about who’d start upfront for Barca. Needed the edge! Plus, it’s kinda fun trying to play manager.
Diving Into the News Mess
I jumped straight onto my phone. Opened up the usual football news apps – there are loads, you know? Started scrolling down the feeds. Got hit with headlines like “Barca injury crisis worsens!” and “Sevilla new manager to make changes?”. Felt overwhelming instantly. Too much noise!
So, I stopped scrolling blindly. I had to focus. My brain said: “Okay, what really matters for picking a team?” Figured it out:
- Who’s hurt? Can’t play if they’re in the treatment room.
- Who’s banned? Red cards or too many yellows screw things up.
- Did the coach say anything? Press conferences are gold sometimes.
- What happened last game? Did someone play badly? Or maybe someone was rested?
- Playing at home or away? Coaches sometimes switch things up.
Checking the Walking Wounded (Barca First)
Started digging for Barcelona updates. Needed names.
- Pedri? Definitely out. Poor guy can’t catch a break. Seen that confirmed everywhere.
- Frenkie de Jong? Still nursing that ankle. News said doubtful, likely bench at best. Won’t start.
- Gavi? Oh yeah, long-term. Out.
- Balde? Out.
- Christensen? Some sites said might be back, others unsure. I put him down as a “maybe”.
- Ferran Torres? Hmm, conflicting reports. Leaning towards fit.
Also remembered! Lamine Yamal, the young kid, was suspended for yellow cards. That was important. Crossed his name off mentally.
Sevilla’s Side
Switched focus to Sevilla. They’ve got issues too.
- Saw that Acuña was definitely out. Big loss for them on the left.
- Marcão? Injured.
- Jordán? Also flagged as injured on a couple of sites. Seems doubtful.
- Nianzou? Some places listed him, others didn’t. Wasn’t sure. Ticked the “probably out” box for safety.
Plus, remembered they got a new coach recently. Quique something? Flores? Yeah. New managers often change things, try new players. Made it trickier to predict.
Building the Lineups Piece by Piece
Armed with the injury stuff, started sketching lineups mentally.
Barcelona:
- Keeper? Ter Stegen. Obvious.
- Defense line for Barca. Koundé at right-back seems nailed on since Araujo is fit and likely partners Cubarsí or Christensen (if fit) in the middle. Left-back… tricky. Cancelo? But if Christensen is back, Araujo might play right-back pushing Koundé… my head started spinning. Settled on Araujo and Cubarsí center, Cancelo left, Koundé right for now.
- Midfield: Gündogan for sure. Then… Roberto? Or Fermín? Without Pedri and de Jong starting, it’s thin. Went with Fermín for some energy alongside Roberto. Felt shaky about it.
- Forwards: Lewandowski center. Raphinha right, especially with Yamal suspended. Left? Ferran if fit, or Félix? Took a gamble on Ferran being back.
Sevilla:
Harder due to new manager.
- Keeper: Nyland, seems established now.
- Defense: Big hole at left-back without Acuña. Saw Pedrosa might step in? Wasn’t sure. Right-back: Navas maybe? Center: Ramos and Bade seemed most likely, given injuries.
- Midfield: Sow? Fernando? Oliver Torres? Gueye? This felt like a total lottery. Went with Fernando holding, Sow and *.
- Forwards: En-Nesyri upfront. Wingers? Lukebakio on the right? On left, Suso? Or maybe Januzaj? Picked Lukebakio right, Ocampos left just because.
Looking for Some Backup
Started checking different prediction sites and a couple of fan forums I lurk in (without posting!). Wanted to see if I was crazy or if others saw it similar.
Found a few sites predicting almost the same Barcelona lineup I had. Slight differences in midfield (some had Fermín, some had Roberto deeper). Phew! Felt better.
Sevilla? Absolute chaos everywhere. Every site and forum had a different midfield and winger combo. One even had the new manager playing five at the back! My guess felt as good as any.
Putting it Down on (Virtual) Paper
Finally took a deep breath and wrote down my best guess:
Expected Barcelona XI:
- Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Cubarsí, Cancelo; Roberto, Gündogan, Fermín; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Ferran Torres.
Expected Sevilla FC XI:
- Nyland; Navas, Bade, Ramos, Pedrosa; Fernando, Sow, Oliver Torres; Lukebakio, En-Nesyri, Ocampos.
Stared at it. Sevilla midfield still bugged me. Maybe Gueye plays instead of Torres? Maybe Suso instead of Ocampos? Ugh. Gotta accept the uncertainty.
Feeling… Prepared?
So that’s it. I went from knowing zilch about the teams tonight to having at least an educated guess, hopefully less wrong than just flipping a coin!
Will I be right? Who knows! Especially with Sevilla’s new boss. But I put in the work, sorted through the injury mess, considered player forms, and made some choices. That’s half the fun, figuring it out yourself. Now I just gotta see if my bet with my mate pays off on game day! Fingers crossed for Ferran starting!
