Valladolid and FC Barcelona face each other this Saturday, May 3rd of 2025 in the matchday 34 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024-2025. The Blaugrana team arrives in search of a new decisive step towards the title after the narrow victory against Mallorca.

With five matchdays left in LaLiga, Barça maintains a four and ten-point advantage over Real Madrid and Atlético, respectively, which means they can take another vital step towards the championship against a rival already relegated.

We review the possible starting lineup, the substitutes bench, and the injured and sanctioned players of Barcelona.

The possible lineup of Hansi Flick for Barcelona vs Valladolid ¡Complete analysis!

Probable starting XI of Barça: 

  1. (#01) Ter Stegen
  2. (#32) Héctor Fort
  3. (#15) Andreas Christensen
  4. (#04) Ronald Araujo
  5. (#35) Gerard Martín
  6. (#24) Eric García
  7. (#06) Gavi
  8. (#16) Fermín López
  9. (#10) Ansu Fati
  10. (#14) Pablo Torre
  11. (#07) Ferran Torres

Barça's bench (substitute players): 

  1. (#13, P) Iñaki Peña
  2. (#25, P) Szczesny
  3. (#02) Pau Cubarsí
  4. (#05) Iñigo Martínez
  5. (#08) Pedri
  6. (#20) Dani Olmo
  7. (#19) Lamine Yamal
  8. (#11) Raphinha
  9. (#18) Pau Víctor
  10. (#21) Frenkie de Jong
  11. (#27) Andrés Cuenca

Injured players of Barça:

  1. (#03) Alejandro Balde
  2. (#09) Robert Lewandowski
  3. (#17) Marc Casadó
  4. (#23) Jules Koundé
  5. (#28) Marc Bernal

Sanctioned players of Barça:

  1. None (there are no sanctioned players)

What will be the surprises and tactical variations of Flick's Barça against Valladolid?

In principle, Flick plans to make several adjustments to his lineup compared to the match against Mallorca.

Goalkeeper and defense:

  • Ter Stegen will be back in goal after seven months injured, instead of Szczesny, while Héctor Fort and Gerard Martín will be the full-backs due to the absences of Koundé and Balde. In the center of the defense, Ronald Araujo will replace Iñigo Martínez, accompanying Andreas Christensen. The Dane added minutes against Inter and will play for the first time since matchday 1 against Valencia.

Midfield:

  • Others who will take the opportunity to rest are Frenkie de Jong and Pedri. Eric García could accompany Gavi in midfield, while Fermín López, a key figure in extra time against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, is expected to return to the XI instead of Dani Olmo.

Forward:

  • In attack, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres will once again be starters alongside another possible novelty in the XI, Pablo Torre. The Cantabrian has not played since matchday 29 against Osasuna and would be the team's right winger, instead of Lamine Yamal. Raphinha will also have a day of rest at the José Zorrilla.

Absences of Barcelona against Valladolid: impact and consequences

The injuries of Jules Koundé, Robert Lewandowski, Alejandro Balde, Casadó, and Bernal pose a significant challenge for FC Barcelona in this decisive stretch of the season.

Below, we detail the individual impact of each absence due to injury on the team.

Jules Koundé (Starting right-back)

Alarm at Barça! Jules Koundé gets injured against Inter
  • Impact: after playing 86 consecutive matches with the club during the last 12 months, Koundé finally rested on matchday 33 against Mallorca. The Frenchman was the MVP of the Cup final, scoring the winning goal, but he was injured in the first half against Inter Milan last Wednesday. The '23' has 4 goals and 8 assists in 53 matches with Flick's team.
  • Consequences: in principle, Barça has not determined the time of absence of Jules, who suffers a distal injury in the biceps femoris of the left thigh. What is certain is that he will miss the rematch against Inter and the Clásico against Madrid in the next matchday of LaLiga. Flick only has Héctor Fort as a substitute right-back and, in the Champions League, he opted for Eric García as an emergency solution. Ronald Araujo could also be a 'patch' to deal with his absence.

Robert Lewandowski (Starting center forward)

Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde in a match against Real Madrid

The Polish striker, without a doubt, will be the team's most sensitive absence to face Mallorca. Lewandowski was injured in the Liga match against Celta on Saturday, April 19.

  • Impact: After scoring 25 goals in the 32 matchdays of LaLiga played so far, and although the '9' could not shake the nets against Betis (1-1), Leganés (0-1), and Celta (4-3), his presence in the area is key to freeing up spaces for Lamine and Raphinha, who lose their main reference.

  • Consequences: In principle, 'Lewy' will be out for around two or three weeks, so his presence in the 'semis' return of the Champions League against Inter Milan is not yet assured. .

Alejandro Balde (Starting left-back)

  • Impact: Balde provides depth, speed, and overflow on the left flank. His absence, although important, has been partially covered by Gerard Martín, who has performed correctly in defense and attack.

  • Consequences: The team loses offensive capacity and surprise on that side, although defensive solidity is maintained. According to recent analysis, Balde's absence is significant but, of the current absences, it is the one that has the least impact thanks to the performance of his replacement.

Marc Casadó (Defensive midfielder)

  • Impact: Casadó, a regular in the midfield rotation, suffered a partial ligament tear and will be out for two months, probably missing the rest of the season.

  • Consequences: His absence reduces refreshment options in the defensive pivot, especially when Flick needs to rotate or close matches. The squad has alternatives, but Casadó's absence limits depth in a key area, especially given the accumulation of minutes and the risk of sanctions or injuries to other midfielders.

Marc Bernal (Midfielder, central midfielder)

  • Impact: Bernal, one of the revelations of the youth academy, suffered a serious knee injury (anterior cruciate ligament rupture) and says goodbye to the season.

  • Consequences: His absence deprives the team of a physical and tactical profile that had provided balance and energy in the center of the field. Bernal was a valuable alternative for matches of high physical demand and his absence forces Flick to rely more on experienced players or to advance the progression of other young players.

In summary, the absences of Lewandowski, Ter Stegen, Balde, Casadó, and Bernal force Flick to rethink his strategy for the match against Mallorca. Defensive solidity, creativity in midfield, and effectiveness in front of goal are affected, but the team trusts in the depth of its squad to overcome this challenge.

Possible lineup of Valladolid against FC Barcelona

  • Initial XI: Ferreira; Pérez, Cömert, Torres, Aznou; Juric, Chuki; Amallah, Machís, Moro; Juanmmi Latasa
  • Bench: Rafús (P), Hein (P), Candela, Özcakar, Martín, Nikitscher, Iván Sánchez, Grillitsch, Ndiaye, Anuar, Marcos André, Sylla.
  • Injured: Joseph Aidoo and Javi Sánchez.
  • Sanctioned: None.

Valladolid, meanwhile, is already relegated after a regrettable second half of the season. Álvaro Rubio's team has only added 1 draw in their last 14 matches and comes from being thrashed against Betis (5-1). In addition, they will not be able to count, due to injury, with Joseph Aidoo and their captain, Javi Sánchez, both out of combat after the visit to the Benito Villamarín.

For the moment, the 'blanquivioleta' team occupies the last position in the table with just 16 points, 14 less than Leganés (18th). At the end of the first half of the season, the Pucelanos had 15 units and were penultimate ahead of Valencia.