Alejandro Balde back for Barcelona but Hansi Flick confirms he won’t start

Barcelona have welcomed back Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado from injury ahead of El Clasico, but Hansi Flick all but confirmed that Gerard Martin would be continuing at left-back. The latter suffered defensively against Inter in the Champions League, but performed well going forward, notching two assists.

Balde has been out for the last month with a hamstring injury, but after missing the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semi-final, will be back in action against Real Madrid. Flick confirmed that he would likely only come off the bench though, as is the case for Robert Lewandowski.

“I don’t think I’ll play them at the start. I think Gerard and the rest of the players are doing very well, and after the injury, things are a little different. After this game, we have three more, so we have to be careful. I think Balde could have minutes in the second half, he is ready for that.”

Unusual full-back pairing for Barcelona

The Blaugrana will also be without Jules Kounde, meaning Martin and Eric Garcia will likely be starting. The latter has played well on the right against Inter, and seems likely to do so again on Sunday.

“We can see that both players are very professional and have improved a lot since the start of the season. For me, it’s not a surprise. When you see Gerard playing in the Champions League semi-finals, he had a fantastic game, it’s amazing to see him at this level. We miss Balde in this situation, because he has also had a great season.”

“And Eric, what can I say? I love his mentality and his attitude; he’s a great professional. When I ask him, ‘If he wants to play as a centre-back, full-back, or number six?’ He has no problem at all. He’s doing really good with the ball, but also without it. And he can also score goals, as we’ve seen.”

Barcelona’s high line at the back

Barcvelona have surprised many this season with their aggressive high line at the back, something that Flick was criticised for at various points in the season, and again after conceding late to Inter.

“When we started, the philosophy was clear. At first, we had some doubts, of course, but in the end, it’s about the whole team, not just the back line. It’s important for us always to have pressure on the ball. You have to know who starts with this dynamic and who follows in order to win the ball back.”

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“There have been games, especially at the beginning, where we saw doubts, but we changed it, and the team has adapted very well. They’ve also been improving and are happy with the style and how we want to play. When you see the quality of the players, you’re happy. When you’re a coach, and you see the intensity in training, you are happy. They work very hard, and today we see the results.”

One of the leaders of that backline, arguably the one who has set the tone, has been Inigo Martinez.

“Inigo has a different style. He’s a player who likes to play deeper, and he’s improved and adapted. It’s incredible to see how he’s adapted. He’s a leader and always focuses on winning every game. How he focuses on every training session, if we do a game, he always wins it, and how he always thinks positively and shares that with his players. And he’s a fighter. I’m happy with him, and I can say that. It might be one of his best seasons, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy to make these changes at 32, 33 years old.”

Another test for Barcelona’s full-backs

While Martin will not have to contend with Denzel Dumfries on the right at Montjuic, Garcia will be up against Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the left, who will no doubt try to exploit his lack of pace. Garcia spent most of the game against Inter going forward, and with Lamine Yamal there, Federico Dimarco and Carlos Augusto were mostly occupied with the teenager against Inter.