Three talking points ahead of Levante vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 5

Three talking points ahead of Levante vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 5 Barcelona’s last game in La Liga was against Valencia a week ago, in an early kickoff, and the effect of the heat on the players was very clear throughout the match. Incidentally, their next game in La Liga is also poised to kick off at the same hour as they visit Levante on Matchday 5 of the competition on Sunday. With 22 goals in five games in all competitions – 17 of them in La Liga, Barcelona are flying this season with a fluid and ruthless attack. They have also conceded just three goals so far and have three clean sheets to their name. As they prepare to take to the field at the Ciutat de Valencia, the objective will be to keep the same attacking output and continue the carnage. After all, there is a feeling of superiority that the squad will like to preserve. Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Levante vs Barcelona. Rotations are inevitable Playing twice a week virtually so early on in the season, managing the minutes of players in the squad is crucial for Hansi Flick. Injuries and fatigue, after all, have been the primary reason behind Barcelona’s undoing in Europe in recent seasons, and the manager’s brand of high-octane football is draining on players. Maintaining a sustainable rotation scheme from early on in the season, needless to say, is crucial on that front and the theme must continue tomorrow afternoon. The initial games of Barcelona’s new season were directed towards identifying the manager’s optimal XI for the big games, and it is clear that Hansi Flick will now have a great idea on the same. Now, he must begin his rotation scheme on a larger level and ensure that a good balance between his Gala XI and the bench players features in every game. Pedri, for starters, has looked slightly winded in recent games and could be replaced by Gavi in tomorrow’s starting lineup. There is also a strong case to swap Rodri with Marc Bernal given that the former has now started two games in a row. In attack, either Lamine Yamal or Raphinha could start on the bench and the manager could even hand Hamza Abdelkarim or Gabriel Jesus a start against Levante. A chance for Alejandro Balde? Will Alejandro Balde finally make an appearance? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) So far this season, most of Barcelona’s squad have at least made an appearance for the team off the bench, if not had at least one start for the side. Alejandro Balde, however, remains one of the few names who is yet to make his season debut , and it is clear that he has fallen out of favour under the manager. Flick was unhappy with Balde’s attitude and effort in training during pre-season, and made it clear to the homegrown talent by dropping him from the squad for the opener vs Elche. Concurrently, however, Flick has always maintained that the La Masia graduate is not out of his dynamics but that he has to prove himself in training – something Balde has been consciously improving on in recent weeks. With Xavi Espart and Joao Cancelo already competing for the left-back spot, Balde has a mountain to climb once he is back in the dynamics. A strong performance if he is given minutes, in that sense, is essential. Dilemma between two new signings Barcelona made two major attacking signings this summer in Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, and both players have adapted well to Hansi Flick’s ideas. There is a stark difference in terms of what the two players bring to the table individually, but both have proven to be valuable profiles in their own way. In that sense, Flick has a perpetual dilemma on the left flank. Gordon appears to be a slightly favoured option by the manager for his understanding of the game, pressing, and understanding with teammates in tight spaces. He has adapted well to the style of football and has shown to be a monstrous chance creator. Adeyemi, meanwhile, has been a more clutch player in front of goal and has got on the end of chances and scored whenever handed the opportunity. He already has two goals this season and could well have had two more. Both players will undoubtedly have a big role going forward this season, just as Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez perfectly balance each other out and rotate seamlessly. For tomorrow’s game, however, it will be interesting to see if Flick continues with Adeyemi as a starter after his good game against Feyenoord or brings Gordon back into the lineup prioritising attacking fluidity.