Confirmed: Barcelona starting lineup to face Atletico Madrid

Confirmed: Barcelona starting lineup to face Atletico Madrid FC Barcelona will be keen on maintaining their lead at the top of the league table as they take on Atletico Madrid this evening. It promises to be a fiery affair at the Metropolitano, even though the hierarchy of the two teams seem to have moved past their differences after a controversial summer. Nevertheless, Barcelona have announced their starting eleven heading into this game, with coach Hansi Flick not choosing to take any big risk. Eric Garcia was a candidate to start in the right-back position after being given the medical clearance. But Flick has not risked the former Man City star, with Farinas retaining his place in the staring lineup. The rest of the backline is largely similar, with Joan Cancelo operating as left-back while Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin form the central defensive pairing. Joan Garcia starts in goal, looking to improve on his shoddy record against Atletico Madrid . In midfield, Flick had another decision to make and it seems the German has gone with Marc Bernal over the experience of Frenkie de Jong. The decision makes sense as de Jong hasn’t seen much action after returning from a long injury layoff. Bernal, therefore, will partner Pedri in the double-pivot in the absence of the injured Rodri, with additional support from attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez. The attack remains unchanged as Flick continues to put faith in Anthony Gordon ahead of Karim Adeyemi on the left flank. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha complete the Barcelona frontline, though it won’t be surprising to see Flick calling up the likes of Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus later in the game.