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Dembele must start against Real Madrid

And Philippe Coutinho can have no complaints

Make no bones about it, Wednesday’s Clasico fixture is Barcelona’s most important of the campaign.

Why?

Firstly, because it’s the next game in the calendar and no one ever looks past their most immediate concern, and secondly, it will set the tone for Saturday’s match-up against the same opponents.

The carrot of ending Real Madrid’s domestic season before March has begun in earnest is a realistic one, and a tantalising prospect.

There’s little point in trying to dress Clasico No.1 up as ‘only’ the Copa del Rey too. A win, or a scoring draw of 2-2 or more, sends Barca through to a final where they’ve a chance to make history - again.

You simply don’t pass up opportunities like that, and to that end, Ernesto Valverde has to play his best XI.

That means there can be no place for an under-performing Philippe Coutinho, but the coach has to find space for Ousmane Dembele.

The Frenchman was the spark that Barca needed at the start of the second half in Seville, and whilst he’s a diamond that still needs a fair amount of polishing, particularly where his decision making is concerned, he is a genuine threat for opposition defences.

Compare and contrast how much more on the front foot Barca were when he was introduced against Sevilla.

A frightening turn of pace will keep Los Blancos’ back four on their toes all game, and with Real desperate to end Barcelona’s stranglehold on the competition, that desperation could play right into the visitors’ hands.

Injured for the first leg, and only used as a sub in the first league Clasico, Dembele hasn’t really had the chance to properly test himself against Barca’s arch rivals.

He will, however, have taken note at just how much joy Malcom got in the opening 90 minutes of this semi-final.

Finally handed some significant time on the pitch, the Brazilian was a thorn in Real Madrid’s side throughout, constantly earning free-kicks in dangerous areas.

With his countryman, Coutinho, not anywhere close to affecting play at this juncture, it has to fall to Dembele to take on that mantle.

He is gaining in confidence all the time, and a perfect assist to Messi against the Andalusians will have done him no harm at all.

If he’s given the chance to help Barca gain the upper hand on Wednesday, it could cement his starting position at the club, at the expense of their most expensive import.



Source: barcablaugranes.com

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