La Liga is on its two week break while the UEFA Nations League gets underway and the two week pause has come at a decent time for Barcelona who have made an express start to the new campaign.
Barca signed off August with a 7-0 destruction of Real Valladolid, a result which laid down a marker for the rest of the title chasers and lifted Hansi Flick’s side to the summit of the Primera Division with a maximum 12 points from four games.
There is much to be impressed by in Flick’s impact in Catalonia as he has quickly added physical prowess and much needed discipline to a clearly talented bunch of players. Last term the club’s off-field problems seemed to spill out onto the pitch as the Blaugrana stars picked up more than their fair share of yellow cards for dissent. This season there have been no such problems and while this can, in part, be attributed to the professionalism Flick has instilled, a change in the league’s rules have also helped. Only team captains can approach the referee now and winger Raphinha is the man who acts as keeper Ter Stegen’s representative for outfield discussions.
So all is well in Catalonia; we’re only four games in and the La Liga 2024 betting odds still favour a Real Madrid title… but Barca fans couldn’t have hoped for much more at this stage.
Barca’s Off field concerns continue
While everything is hunky dory on the grass Barcelona continue to wrestle with financial fair play matters off the field. The club just about managed to get Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner Dani Olmo registered in time, by using an emergency injury rule; but if Barcelona don’t sort out their money matters before winter then Olmo may be at risk of being sidelined after January.
Another summer signing, Pau Victor, is in the same boat as Olmo. The young striker impressed hugely for Barca Atletic last season, scoring 20 goals, and he was signed on for the senior side in the close season, and allocated the number 18 shirt in the first team squad. Victor was owned by neighbours Girona but the Barcelona chiefs exercised their option to buy him for 3m Euros on a contract until 2029, but due to the club’s financial difficulties he might well be stuck alongside Olmo if financial fair play obligations aren’t met by January.
Militao injury leaves Ancelotti short at the back
Real Madrid’s injury woes have continued with the news yesterday that Brazilian centre back Eder Militao has picked up a thigh muscle strain while away with the Selecao; and now he faces some time in the physio room, and so head coach Carlo Ancelotti must find a defensive solution in time for Los Blancos’ visit to Real Sociedad next weekend. The Madrid back line is already missing long term absentee David Alaba and Ancelotti has few obvious options to step in for Miltao. The most likely candidate is the experienced Ferland Mendy who can play either at left back or on the left side of a centre back pairing. Whilst this flexibility is ideal for a head coach, Mendy is much more than a utility player, and his speed of thought, pace on the pitch and superb tackling skills make him the perfect modern day defender. While Ancelotti could shuffle his pack and even push defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni back into the defence, Mendy seems the safest option given the minutes he has put in as a natural defender.
In other La Liga 2024 news, here at SBOTOP we’ve picked up that Los Blancos midfielder Jude Bellingham could be nearing a return and that’s a huge boost for Ancelotti among the injury worries elsewhere. The 21 year old England star picked up a foot injury during Los Blancos’ second league game of the campaign, and he has been on the road to recovery ever since, missing the Three Lions opening UEFA Nations League games. Bellingham was ruled out for at least a month but he has been making better progress than initially expected and he could be involved in Los Blancos match against Sociedad next weekend.
There is still some way for Bellingham to go but it seems certain that he will at least travel with the squad to San Sebastian and if he does make an appearance that will be a bonus. Draws with Las Palmas and Real Mallorca have left Los Blancos four points behind the Blaugrana but they had more good news last week as marquee summer signing Kylian Mbappe got off the mark with a brace in the 2-0 home win against Real Betis before the break.
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