FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

The Oviedo stopper has made it clear that while the task is enormous, his team is travelling with belief and pride. Speaking from the press room, the 30-year-old was asked to single out a Barcelona player who could make the difference, and Escandell promptly said, "It would be Raphinha." Capable of beating Barcelona The goalkeeper highlighted Raphinha as the standout threat in the Blaugrana squad, showing the respect Oviedo have for the Brazilian's quality and influence.

"It's been wonderful, and the way I've been welcomed here in the dressing room, along with the manager, is something truly special," he said.

After having endured a difficult last season at FC Barcelona, Ansu Fati left the club in the summer to join AS Monaco on a year-long loan. Having had a slow start, the La Masia forward burst into form and scored some important goals for the Ligue 1 outfit. But with the managerial change, his standing within the team went down again, stopping him from building on his promising form.

While all the attention was on Fermin Lopez and Robert Lewandowski for their goals, Marcus Rashford also raised some eyebrows late on, notably providing a sublime assist for Lewandowski's goal in the 70th minute. The 28-year-old winger, currently on loan from Manchester United, is indeed posting the best numbers of his career in Europe's elite competition. With his latest assist in Prague, the Englishman has now been directly involved in 7 of Barcelona's 18 goals in the tournament.

"In the first half, we were dangerous in some situations. We fought honestly with some players. We didn't allow our opponents much. They lost a lot of balls and we were already running out of energy. If we had handled some situations better, we could have continued to threaten."

Bernal has no intention of leaving Barcelona anytime in the near future. The young midfield star is set on his desire to succeed in the garnet and blue colours and is willing to fight it out to earn his spot in Hansi Flick's plans. There is no possibility of a departure being initiated from his side, as was the case with Dro.

Barcelona are preparing for the imminent departure of one of their most highly rated academy prospects, with fresh details now emerging about the situation surrounding Pedro 'Dro' Fernandez. A report from MARCA has shed further light on how the club and coaching staff are handling the final stages of what looks set to be a January exit. Despite enjoying the full confidence of Hansi Flick, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder has made it clear that he wants to leave Barcelona immediately.

After facing a defeat against Real Sociedad in La Liga, FC Barcelona will be gunning to return to winning ways when they take on Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League later tonight. Ahead of kickoff in Czechia, Hansi Flick has announced the starting lineup that will take the field against the minnows. Roony Bardghji gets a start on the right flank tonight, considering that Lamine Yamal is unavailable due to suspension.

Now, as per an exclusive update provided by Adrian Sanchez to Barça Universal, Gavi's recovery and rehab are progressing according to plans laid out by the Barcelona medical staff. Previous reports have suggested that Gavi could be back in action by early February. However, Barcelona are clear that they will not take any risks with their ace midfielder. Things will only move forward when he is at 100% and ready to make a comeback.

Raphinha's importance to Barcelona under Hansi Flick is no longer up for debate. The numbers alone make that clear, but the wider impact he has on the team goes far beyond goals and assists. In just 18 appearances this season, the Brazilian winger has already delivered 11 goals and five assists, which shows his decisive role in Flick's system. His influence was most visible during Barcelona's recent success in the Spanish Super Cup.

The agreement between Inter and Dinamo Zagreb, which owns the player's rights, is already closed. According to reports, the deal is worth around €2.5 million as a fixed fee, with a further €2 million included in performance-based add-ons. Inter's move stands out not only because they beat Barcelona to the signing, but also because they moved faster than RB Salzburg.

FC Barcelona have had a long-standing interest in Manchester City and Portugal playmaker Bernardo Silva. The Blaugrana have made multiple attempts to sign the 31-year-old midfielder in the past, pursuing him with great fervour, especially during the time when Xavi Hernandez was manager. However, Financial Fair Play issues meant that a move never materialised despite the player being open to making the switch.