"With Barca having wrapped up La Liga in their previous game against Real Madrid, there were always likely to be changes to the starting line-up against Alaves. As it turned out, Hansi Flick made eight to the team which began El Clasico. Arguably, the result and manner of performance didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, though personal pride should dictate that whoever was selected treated this match the same as any other. After all, for players like Roony Bardghji, it was another opportunity to give Flick some food for thought in the future."
"It really was only to be expected from the Catalans. Nothing at all to play for, no need to push any harder than was necessary... supporters couldn't really expect too much more than what Barca produced on Wednesday night. There were a few passages of play when the visitors exhibited their wonderful passing game, but in truth, they were few and far between against an opponent playing with much more urgency, given their need for all three points."
"The game allowed Flick to give one or two fringe players a run out, and Alvaro Cortes can be happy with his debut contribution on the night. Calm in possession, strong in the tackle and authoritative when necessary, he certainly didn't disgrace himself alongside Pau Cubarsi. Whilst it's far too early to determine whether he could seriously challenge the first-choice partnership of Cubarsi and Gerard Martin, Cortes has put himself in the picture for further consideration."
"Notwithstanding that Alaves were fighting for their La Liga lives, no efforts on target from Barca speak volumes. From quite early in the game, it did appear that it was going to be one of those matches where the Blaugranes could've played all night and still not come close to scoring. Whether it was a backs-against-the-wall five-man defensive effort that was keeping Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford or others out, or it was just an incredibly"
Barca had already secured La Liga before facing Alaves, leading to eight changes from the lineup used in El Clasico. The result and overall performance mattered less in the broader context, but players still had opportunities to prove themselves. Roony Bardghji and other fringe options gained minutes to provide information for future selection. Alvaro Cortes made his debut contribution, showing composure in possession, strength in tackles, and authority when needed alongside Pau Cubarsi. Although Cortes may not yet be a serious challenger to the first-choice center-back pairing, he positioned himself for further consideration. Despite Alaves fighting for survival, Barca recorded no efforts on target early and throughout, suggesting Alaves’ defensive resistance and Barca’s inability to create clear chances.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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