Three talking points ahead of Real Betis vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 9

Three talking points ahead of Real Betis vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 9 Barcelona made easy work of Galatasaray despite the atmosphere of ‘hell’ that was described in Istanbul, and Hansi Flick’s side thus continue to fly. Now, however, they enter a crucial stretch of the season with back-to-back tests of quality, mentality and depth – and they firmly have the momentum on their side. The first of their big challenges arrives on Saturday, and it will be against Real Betis at the Estadio de La Cartuja – a venue where Real Madrid already dropped points this season. Real Betis are playing in supreme form and have dynamic attackers who will force Barcelona to be at their defensive best. Flick, in that sense, will look for a foolproof plan to come out on top against Pellegrini. Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Betis vs Barcelona. An opposition in great form Hansi Flick spoke to the media earlier today in anticipation of the game against Real Betis, and the initial phase of his presser revolved around only one topic – the opponents’ unreal form. Last season, Los Verdiblancos outperformed expectations and booked a spot in the UEFA Champions League. So far this term, they have only gotten better and continue to keep the momentum.. Indeed, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have been in emphatic form domestically as they have won six out of eight games in La Liga and drawn one and lost one. They sit on a staggering 19 points, level with Atletico Madrid and a point above Real Madrid, who they have already beaten this season. In the Champions League, Real Betis have also won both their games so far, and it is clear that they are an opposition in red-hot form. Throughout his presser, the Barcelona manager stressed that he was wary of the threat Real Betis posed and that the squad would not take the game in a light sense in any capacity. While Barcelona have been flying so far this season, in-form teams have given the side a fight as Sevilla and Galatasaray both did in their respective first halves. Real Betis, in that sense, will perhaps be the team’s most difficult opposition yet, and in that sense will be critical with a massive week ahead. Two captains return Raphinha is back, as is De Jong. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) The biggest news ahead of Barcelona’s clash against Real Betis, by far, is the return of two of Barcelona’s captains from injury – Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong . The former has been one of the team’s best players so far this season and enjoyed a stunning start to the new campaign until he got injured on national team duty. There was hope that he would be back immediately after the break, but Flick preferred to err on the side of caution with the Brazilian star and withheld him for two games, handing him ample time to recover. Ahead of the game against Real Betis, Raphinha is finally back in the squad and will undoubtedly see minutes on Saturday. Flick, however, is unlikely to hand him a starting role given that the priority will be PSG and Real Madrid. Meanwhile, De Jong is returning from a long-term injury which he suffered on national team duty at the FIFA World Cup, and is in the matchday squad for the first time this season. There is no doubt that the player is a leader in the dressing room. Given how even the likes of Marc Bernal and Gavi have been enjoying minutes in Flick’s rotation-dominant midfield plans, it is clear that De Jong will also have prominence in the months to come. Tomorrow, in that sense, could well be the Dutchman’s season debut, even if it is just for a few minutes, and it will be interesting to see how Flick manages his minutes. The stepping stone Given the form Real Betis are in, the Verdiblancos deserve the respect playing against them commands, and it will undoubtedly be Barcelona’s toughest game yet. However, one simply cannot look past the fact that the Catalans’ next two games are against PSG and Real Madrid, and the spotlight immediately moves off the Seville-based side, As Flick reiterated multiple times, the team’s complete focus will be on tomorrow’s game against Real Betis. Yet, one cannot help but look at it as a stepping stone to a crucial set of games ahead. PSG, at this point, are perhaps the next best team this season in terms of form after Barcelona, and facing off against the back-to-back UCL champions will be a massive encounter. A win over an in-form Betis tomorrow, thus, will serve as a massive morale booster for Barcelona, and while a defeat will not kill their spirit, it would be the worst possible time to suffer a first setback of the season.