Barça’s First Test Is Underway.

 

FC Barcelona were back in action following the long FIFA break. Fortunately, there was one minor injury to Raphinha to worry about. Now, Barça has its first test of the season is underway as they dealt with an away victory to Galatasaray and a home victory against Real Betis. Next up, Paris Saint Germaine and Real Madrid.

Barça picked up right where they left off before the international break. They remain perfect and now face two major tests against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. While many see these matches as the ultimate measure of just how good this Barça side really is, the reality is that the timing could hardly be worse. With two huge games coming so soon after the FIFA break, the only difficult challenge at this inconvenient moment is El Clasico.

The main focus should be the league crow. A victory over Real Madrid would give Barça a nine-point gap ahead of their archrivals. It is true that league titles are not won in October, but they can be lost that early. Establishing a big lead in the league standings would allow them to rotate for the Champions League in the second half of the season to keep the players fresh.

It is unfortunate that the game against PSG had to be right before El Clasico, but the Champions League is a long journey which does not deserve its attention at the moment. A victory against Real Madrid would establish a new record for most wins, ten, to start a season. More importantly, a win would also deliver a psychological blow to their rivals and cause them more turmoil.

With the recent injuries to Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, it would be vital not to lose more players to injury before El Clasico. I doubt Hansi Flick would rest so many starters against the European champions, PSG, but it is possible that their paths would cross again in the spring. It would be unfortunate for the Blaugrana to lose more players because of this clash before meeting Madrid.

Furthermore, Flick will have to find a way to rest Lamine Yamal. As much as the young star is important to the team’s success, Flick will have to find a way to rest him a few games to avoid losing him to an injury. Pedri and Gavi are perfect examples of players who paid the price from playing too much. Barça suffered last season when Lamine Yamal had to sit on the sidelines in the final weeks of the season because of an injury to his hamstring. Let’s hope Flick and Lamine Yamal have learned from that setback and think long-term instead of short term.