Ernesto Valverde had to them to him devise to do an eleven that could counter the potential of the Athletic of Madrid. The technician extremeño could not have Ivan Rakitic, that saw the red cardboard against the Real Betis and was sanctioned (also lesionado from a party with Croatia during the stop) neither with Philippe Coutinho, that did not recover to time.
In this sense, the Txingurri bet for elaborating an alignment in which the centre of the field went out very reinforced with the presence of effective footballers so much in attack as in defence. One of them was Arturo Vidal, that only had been headline in the party against the Girona contested in the Camp Nou.
The last big performances of the mediocentro Chilean elevated the confidence of Valverde in his figure and, in Wanda Metropolitan, the Txingurri considered that the experience and the state of form of Arturo Vidal had to concede him the titularity. In fact, in front of the Real Betis marked a goal and gave an assistance, in addition to marking also with Chile during the stop.
The another player by which bet Ernesto Valverde in the centre of the field was Sergi Roberto, that usually plays like right side. However, the fact that the Catalan was having serious problems in defence playing in this position beside the that it elevate exponencialmente his performance when it plays in the centre of the field, did that the Txingurri bet him in the medullary.
Of course, somebody had to occupy his place in the right side, and east was Nélson Semedo. The Portuguese side is another of the footballers without fixed place in the onces of the FC Barcelona that looked for to claim against the Athletic of Madrid. The speed of Thomas Lemar was a serious threat by his band, by what the physicist of Semedo was a good measure of protection.
Umtiti, by Lenglet in defence
Another of the surprises of Ernesto Valverde in the alignment against the Athletic of Madrid was Samuel Umtiti, that went past of Clément Lenglet. The ex of the Lyon is indisputable headline if the injuries allow it to him and left went to his compatriot, that had a good paper whereas the '23' culé was lesionado.