Source: REUTERS/Albert Gea
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish reports, Hans-Dieter Flick frequently adjusts Barcelona’s starting lineup to cope with injury issues. In his first 10 official matches in charge, he has only repeated the same starting lineup once. Reports indicate that in these 10 matches, Flick only used the same starting lineup against Valladolid and Girona. He had hoped to use it for a third time against Monaco, but Dani Olmo’s injury disrupted those plans. Starting from the match against Monaco, changes to the starting lineup became more frequent: there were 3 changes against Villarreal, 4 against Getafe, and 5 against both Osasuna and Young Boys. Among these changes, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski are the only two players who have consistently been in the starting lineup. Flick has used 4 different defensive combinations, with the combination of Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, and Alex Balde being used most frequently at 7 times. In the double pivot position, he has tried 5 different combinations, with Marc Casado and Pedri partnering together 3 times as the most commonly used combination.