Will Balde start for Barcelona against Real Madrid in the La Liga El Clásico?
Alejandro Balde is back in the squad in which is a huge boost for Barcelona ahead of the season-deciding El Clasico. The left-back had been out of the team since mid-April when he got injured in a win over Leganes. It was expected that he would be back for the second leg against Inter, but he wasn’t passed fit for that game. While he is back for this Clasico, and will be expected to have some game time in this one.
Four points separate Barcelona at the top of the table from Real Madrid in second. The truth is, Barcelona have had a great season and Real have had a seriously under-par season. Yet if Real win, the gap will be just of single point. Real’s other three games are much easier compared to Barcelona’s. This could be very interesting and could go down to the wire. Now the most important question is whether will Balde play in El Clasico?
Will Balde start against Real Madrid?
Will Balde play against Madrid? The question was answered by the Barcelona coach in the press conference. Hansi Flick, when asked about this before the game, said, “I don’t think either Balde or Lewandowski will start El Clásico, maybe they will get minutes in the second half. Gerard Martin is doing very well. Szczesny will start in goal”.
Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid 3 times in El Clásicos this season, including in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals. This includes a 5-2 win and a 4-0 win for the Blaugrana.
The Threat of Balde
Balde’s threat is very evident. He is extremely fast, decent defensively, and is a fantastic dribbler. He takes over the entire left wing on his own, adding a lot of dynamism to Barca’s attack. His being there also liberates Raphinha to cut into central areas, where the Brazilian is the most dangerous.
The other option at LB is Gerard Martin. While he is worse than Balde in terms of dribbling, defending, and physicality, where he stands out is his crossing, which is far better than Balde’s. This was demonstrated in his two assists against Inter in midweek.
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