How will Barcelona line up against Celta Vigo?

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Can the champions produce a response on Saturday?

Barcelona head into Saturday’s clash with Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou under pressure after a couple of demoralising results and performances.

The champions were beaten 3-1 by Levante last time out in La Liga and followed that up with a 0-0 draw against Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

Miraculously they remain top of the table in Spain and face a struggling Celta Vigo side who have recently replaced manager Fran Escriba with Oscar Garcia.

Let’s look at how Barca might line up:

Defence

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There is no Jordi Alba for this game due to a hamstring injury so Junior Firpo will be hoping for some game time, while Nelson Semedo could fill in at left-back with Sergi Roberto filling in on the opposite flank.

In central defence Samuel Umtiti is fit again and could make just his second La Liga start of the season. The Frenchman could come in to give either Gerard Pique or Clement Lenglet a breather.

Midfield

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Arthur was, rather surprisingly, left out of the Barcelona squad again on Wednesday night but will be hoping for a recall for Saturday’s match.

Frenkie de Jong is likely to continue in midfield, while it seems to be a choice between Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets for the third midfield slot.

Barcelona have lost all three La Liga games they have started without Busquets this season, but the midfielder came off early against Slavia amid reports he wasn’t feeling well.

Attack

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Luis Suarez is expected to miss out again through injury which means Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele are likely to continue in attack with Lionel Messi.

Griezmann has struggled to make much of an impact out wide on the left, but it remains to be seen if Ernesto Valverde will deploy him in a more central role.

Ansu Fati came off the bench against Slavia Prague and is also in the running for a starting spot, although it’s more likely the teenager will start on the bench.

Possible XI: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Firpo; De Jong, Vidal, Arthur; Messi, Griezmann, Dembele.

How do you think Barcelona should line up against Celta? Let us know your thoughts, predictions and line-ups in the comments below!

Source: barcablaugranes.com