20-year-old debutant in the starting XI! Flick surprises with Barcelona lineup for Alavés clash
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick surprised everyone with his choice of starting lineup for the home clash with Alavés. The most unexpected decision was deploying Frenkie de Jong as the left-sided center-back. The Dutchman, accustomed to operating in midfield, will have to help the Catalans cope with their defensive injury crisis.
Another shock was the inclusion of Brian Fariñas in the starting lineup. The young footballer, born in 2006, has been handed the chance to make his debut for Barcelona's first team. Meanwhile, Alejandro Balde has been left on the bench despite the team's defensive absences.
Flick is indeed facing a difficult situation in defense. Jules Koundé, Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Javi Espart are unavailable to the Catalans due to injuries. As a result, the coaching staff had to come up with unconventional solutions and put their faith in a young academy graduate.
The clash with Alavés will give Barcelona an opportunity to strengthen their position in the title race, but fans' attention is now focused not only on the result, but also on the unusual reshuffling of the defense.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
