Spanish Supercopa 2021: Barça to pick all their stars against Real Sociedad

Spanish Supercopa 2021: Barça to pick all their stars against Real Sociedad

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Coach Ronald Koeman will hold nothing back in search of a place in the final on Sunday

FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman won't hold anyone back when his side face Real Sociedad in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Koeman will pick his strongest side at the Nuevo Arcángel in Cordoba. Good results since the start of the year -- three wins from three in 2021 -- have reinforced his idea: don't mess with things that are working.

Therefore, save any late setbacks, Barça will go out with Ter Stegen in goal, Dest and Jordi Alba as the two full-backs, Araujo and Lenglet in the middle of the back four, Busquets, De Jong and Pedri ahead of them and a front three of Dembele, Messi and Griezmann.

Changes

The changes with respect to the 4-0 win at Granada on Saturday will be the centre-backs. Lenglet missed out through suspension at the weekend and Araujo was injured in the warm-up.

Providing Araujo is fit, they will replace Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza, who both did well in the win at Granada.

Thinking of the game against Real Sociedad, Koeman gave a rest to Messi and De Jong in that game, taking them off in the 65th minute when his side were 4-0 up.

Later, in the 73rd minute, he also took off Pedri and Dembele to keep them 'fresh' for the Super Cup.

La previa del Real Sociedad - FC Barcelona de esta noche en el Nuevo Arcángel de Córdoba

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Koeman also has the tireless Martin Braithwaite as an option to play as a No.9, the experience of Pjanic to come into the midfield, the freshness of Riqui Puig and the directness of Francisco Trincao.

Also on the bench will be Umtiti and Mingueza (who can also play at right-back), Junior, goalkeepers Neto and Iñaki Peña and youngster Ilaix Moriba, who is yet to make his senior debut for the club.

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