Picture Credit: Twitter
After the Champions League drama last night, it’s time for the Europa League. Often this tournament is not looked upon but to its credit, the Europa League has given us enthralling clashes over the past few seasons. This season too Europa League clashes are highly competitive and a treat to watch for any football fan.
One such encounter is where revived FC Barcelona will be up against the German giants Eintracht Frankfurt. In the first leg, Barcelona was just able to beat their German counterparts by a margin of 1 goal.
The Eintracht team and their supporters are treating this second leg clash in Barcelona as a cup final and their team will be up for this game.
Preview
Barcelona after their well-fought win against Frankfurt in the first leg went to play relegation-threatened Levante. Everyone expected it to be a routine win for Blaugrana but it turned out to be an evenly contested game and Luke De Jong's brilliance in extra time helped Barca to snatch the victory in the end. On other hand, Eintracht Frankfurt lost their weekend fixture against Freiburg.
Where will the match take place?
Barcelona Camp Nou will host the match.
Where can one watch the FC Barcelona vs Eintracht Frankfurt second-leg match?
Sony Ten Sports will live telecast of the UEL match between Barca and Frankfurt.
Where can one live stream the Barca vs Frankfurt match?
Sony Liv will live stream the matches on its app.
Team News
FC Barcelona:
FC Barcelona got a welcome boost when their injured striker Depay was declared fit and returned to the squad list for this game. Ace defender Gerard Pique who went injured during the first leg is included in the squad list but it looks highly unlikely that he will feature in this game. Other absentees for Blaugrana are Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Dest, and Umtiti.
Predicted Line-up:
Ter Stegen, Araujo, Garcia, Leglet, Alba, Busquets, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Aubameyang and Dembele
Eintracht Frankfurt:
Coming into Eintracht Frankfurt, their main centre-back Tuta is suspended for this clash. Other absentees for them are Christopher Lenz, Diant Ramaj, and Djibril Snow.
Predicted Line-up:
Kevin Trapp, Evan Dicka, Hasebe, Hinteregger, Kostic, Jakic, Rode, Knauf, Kamada, Lindstrom and Rafael Borre.
Tactical Analysis
FC Barcelona:
Xavi starts with a typical attacking 4-3-3 formation. Though it looks like 4-3-3, the formation tends to change continuously while in charge of the ball and while not having the ball. When they are defending, Barca changes to a typical 5-2-3 formation with Busquets sliding in between the defenders. Pedri and De Jong remain in front of the backline and act as ball snatchers as well as pressers. Dembele and Ferran Torres trackback as well, giving ease to the fullbacks.
In the case of building up play, Barca has adopted a unique strategy. Busquets now tend to play as the deep-lying playmaker. Frenkie and Pedri then act as a double pivot helping the team to create swift attacks. Dani Alves and Jordi Alba act as inverted fullbacks which help the team in numerical supremacy in the midfield. So, as it looks, the files change to a 3-2-4-1 formation when they are creating attacks.
Under Xavi, the role of the fullbacks and wingers has become extremely essential in this type of formation with them acting as the chance creators. A combination of fullback and wingers helps them keep up their wing play pretty well.
Eintracht Frankfurt:
Frankfurt's side plays well in a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 and the players fit very well in this structure. While attacking, their key players are Daichi Kamada and Filip Kostic. They have taken the role of creating attacks for them. The 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation had two 6s, which allowed Schlappe Kicker to play with a 3-2 structure in the construction phases to proceed the ball forward.
When it comes to pressing, Glasner's side press is very high. Glasner’s pressing is not about man-to-man marking, instead, his team defends deep with the primary focus of closing spaces in the centre. Frankfurt catches their opponents on the counter; this is done by their two key players, Kamada and Kostic.
Key Players
Ousmane Dembele:
The Frenchman has been in the form of his life after his return from injury. He has registered whopping 11 assists in the last 14 LaLiga games in Barca's unbeaten run since February. His darting runs down the wings and his crosses can become an opposition's nightmare. Against an average Frankfurt defence, Dembele will be the player to watch out for in the wings.
Daichi Kamada:
The Japanese midfielder is the fulcrum of this Frankfurt side. He controls the whole of the German side's attack. Be it in building up attacks from the back or be it in the final third attacks, his presence is felt everywhere. He is the second top goal scorer for Frankfurt. If Frankfurt is to win at Camp Nou, he will have to be at his level best.
Score Prediction
Conclusion
All in all, we can expect a highly contested game from both teams. Barcelona would want to keep their momentum ongoing under Xavi and get a step closer to the Europa League trophy. For Frankfurt going to iconic Camp Nou and winning against in-form, Barcelona will be a big thing and a moment to cherish for their players and fans for a lifetime.