That defeat made six losses from the last seven, with a 5-goal win in the Champions League over Frankfurt looking more and more like the outlier, squeezed in there. This poor run of form has not left Arne Slot in the best of lights as he has struggled to field a cohesive unit for a long time now. Injuries, new signings, departures and more have robbed the Dutchman of the living and breathing organism he inherited last season.
"Tomorrow [tonight] everything can change in an instant. Santiago is doing well, he works hard for the team. It's not like he comes on and does well against Fiorentina and then has to play," he said. "Then against Pisa he doesn't have a good game and then he has to be left out. You're either good or you're not good. Gimenez is a good player, he's always scored goals and he will do them against Milan too."
Furthermore, key absences through injury will also be a concern for Barça, as they are without Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Joan Garcia, Dani Olmo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Andreas Christensen. The manager, who himself is suspended and will not be on the touchline, has some major decisions to make in terms of selection, particularly in the defensive line. With the top spot in the La Liga table on the line, here's how Barcelona could take the field against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.