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This Wednesday night Barcelona are travelling away to Slavia Prague for their third Champions League fixture of the ongoing campaign.

After the first two clashes, the Catalan giants have a draw against Borussia Dortmund and a win over Inter Milan under their belts.

But their upcoming rivals are definitely not to be underestimated.

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Even though they lost 2-0 to Dortmund, they managed to secure a draw against the Nerazzurri on the road, which shows that they are quite capable themselves.

After a long while, Ernesto Valverde will have the majority of his squad ready and at his disposal so we can expect a full-strength Blaugrana to be deployed in Prague come Wednesday night.

With that in mind, here’s how we think their starting XI will look as two key changes are made from the 3-0 victory over Eibar last weekend:

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is once again bound to start between the sticks seeing how he has played in every game so far this season.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Gerard Pique will also be making his return to the lineup after having to sit out Barcelona’s last clash against Eibar due to yellow card accumulation. It’s likely that Valverde will slot him next to Clement Lenglet and flanks his centre-back duo with Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo.

The latter will be deputising for Sergi Roberto who picked up an injury in his last outing and will most likely be out of contention.

As for the rest of the squad, however, there are not really likely to be any changes at all.

The midfield trio of Sergio Busquets, Arthur Melo and Frenkie de Jong are already set in stone when it comes to big matches and especially in the Champions League so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that we’re bound to see them feature once again.

Moving to the final third, the same can be said for the forward trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann, all of whom were on the scoresheet in the last game.

It’s likely that Valverde will keep all three of his big guns in the lineup for the trip to Prague and leaves nothing to chance.

Having arrived in the summer for a fee in the region of £50m, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has well and truly established himself as part of the Manchester United furniture in his debut campaign at the club.

Already this season, the 21-year-old has featured in ten games across all competitions, and has appeared to make the right-back position his own under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Against Norwich in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Wan-Bissaka put in a defensive masterclass, as he completely overwhelmed the Canaries’ attackers.

As per Sofascore, he registered an incredible 11 tackles over the course of the 90 minutes, and made a further three interceptions and two clearances.

After seeing his display, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts about their summer signing dominating the game.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted he was “absolutely incredible” against Daniel Farke’s side, although one fan in particular suggested that even that would be an “understatement” to describe his performance.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Back to winning ways, but it looks as if not everybody is happy with how things are going.

And by not everybody, there’s only really one man in particular, and that’s former Nottingham Forest player Kenny Burns.

He made some rather bemusing comments when it comes to Forest’s make-shift right-back Matty Cash in the wake of the victory over Luton Town

Cash, a winger by trade, has had to fill in as a defender this season due to injuries to the likes of Tendayi Darikwa and Carl Jenkinson.

What’s he said?

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Burns believes that although Cash has done a great job up to now, that going forward, Forest need to get him out of that position as soon as possible.

“One thing which continues to worry me is Matty Cash playing at right-back. That’s in no way intended as a criticism to Cash, who gives nothing less than 100 percent each and every week, and is getting better game after game. He’s just not a right-back and going forward, I’m not sure how long Lamouchi can persist with it.

“Take Hull for example, they probably have two of the best wingers in the league in Kamil Grosicki and Jarrod Bowen, and both enjoyed a profitable night a couple of weeks ago. As much as I like and respect Cash, the sooner Forest can get Carl Jenkinson fit the better.”

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A bit harsh

The best way you could describe those comments would be ‘damning with faint praise’. Last weekend, Cash set a Championship record this season for most tackles in a match, making a mighty 11 successful challenges.

So for Burns to essentially be calling for the 22-year-old to be dropped as soon as Jenkinson gets fit feels a little bit extreme, especially when he’s been doing so well not just over the weekend, but throughout the season as well.

In fact, if you take a look at WhoScored’s ratings for the Championship this season, he’s actually down as the best right-back in the division.

Therefore, it’s harsh for Burns to be saying that they essentially need to find a solution when overall he’s been doing a fine job.

There may be some inconsistencies to his game but you can give the youngster a little bit of leeway because at the end of the day, he is out of position.

Forest don’t need to fix the position unless it gets absolutely drastic and Cash starts producing errors on a continual basis. There’s enough chopping and changing going on at Forest right now, so rotating for the sake of it won’t make things better.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Liverpool just about squeezed past Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League.

The Reds were 1-0 down against the Villans going into the last few minutes of normal time, and it looked as though they could be on their way to their first league loss of the season. That, of course, was until Andrew Robertson equalised. Then, before we knew it, the Anfield outfit had taken the lead thanks to Sadio Mane’s header.

Watch the moment Adam Lallana broke United hearts at Old Trafford in the video below…

This is what some would be inclined to call “a performance of champions” – when a team does not play to the best of their ability yet still manage to prevail and pick up vital points. Over the course of a 38-game season, there will be several days when such displays are needed.

This late victory is somewhat of an anomaly so far this term.

This campaign, the Reds have scored 13 and conceded four in the first 45 minutes, compared to 12 and five in the second half. Last season, though, it was a very different story. After the interval, they scored 51 and shipped 12, compared to 38 and 10 in the first period. As such, the Reds were six points worse off in regards to their first-half performance compared with their second.

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Generally, champions dominate, and to do so, they must come out of the blocks flying. This is clearly something that the former Borussia Dortmund boss has tried to instil into his team this campaign as they go in search of their first league title in 30 years.

Between the 15th and 45th minutes, particularly, the Merseyside outfit have been impressive, scoring nine goals and conceding just two in response.

Man City, meanwhile, have been slightly better in the second half, with a record of +14 compared to plus +10 preceding the break. That is a reversal of the past season, with a record of +38 in the first half compared to +34 in the second. That ended up having a telling impact on the final outcome of the league campaign, and Liverpool’s efficiency in the first half has given them the advantage so far this time out.

Yes, these late victories are sometimes required, but a title championship cannot be founded on picking up late points.

Klopp and co must ensure that they continue to be efficient in the first 45 minutes as it could end up making all the difference in the title race.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Carles Alena has an agreement with Barcelona that the midfielder would be best off leaving the Spanish champions on loan in January.

The 21-year-old started Barca’s 2019/20 opener at Athletic Bilbao but was replaced at the interval and has not been seen in the first team since.

According to Mundo Deportivo, both parties feel that a loan move at the start of 2020 would make sense, and Tottenham are closely monitoring developments.

Despite being frozen out in recent months, Alena actually made 27 first-team appearances for the Catalan giants last season, including 17 La Liga outings.

A number of Tottenham fans have been on social media offering their views on the latest developments.

And it would be fair to say that the majority are not interested in a loan move for the midfielder, who has been capped on two occasions by Spain’s U21 side.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former England international Darren Bent likes the look of Everton’s new centre-back duo of Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate.

What did he say?

Everton have managed to improve across the pitch in recent weeks, having registered two Premier League wins and progressed in the Carabao Cup as well.

It seems Marco Silva is close to finding a winning formula within his team. Djibril Sidibe has started the last four league games at right-back, as has Tom Davies in midfield, whilst Cenk Tosun has played a part in the last two games also.

Arguably Silva’s best change in recent weeks, however, has been the addition of Holgate alongside Mina.

Bent told Football Insider when asked about the centre-back pair: “They’re good players, they can work together, they’re both powerful, they’re both good on the ball, it’s just about them working together to do the best for Everton football club.

“Mina is going to be seen as the more senior player, he needs to take more of a senior approach.”

Stick with success

Holgate was drafted in for the Brighton & Hove Albion trip, as Mina missed out through injury. Despite the loss, the 23-year-old impressed in that game, registering a smart assist for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He has since gone onto score and provide another assist, whilst keeping a rare clean sheet in the EFL Cup against Watford.

Overall, Holgate has proved his worth in each game, going from strength to strength and vindicating the decision to drop Michael Keane to the substitutes bench.

Now, it seems that Silva has built a formidable partnership without the former Burnley man and the Portuguese manager must continue with this winning formula at the back.

Arsenal feel like a club approaching turmoil with all of the issues and debates that have been ongoing in recent weeks.

There is Unai Emery’s lack of job security, as well as uncertainly over whether Granit Xhaka will be at the club past January and whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should be captain.

Another topic has been added to the overall discussion now, after Hector Bellerin’s agent discussed his future on Sky Sport Italia (via Football Italia), stating that an Italian club have already shown an interest in his services and insinuating that he could consider a move at the end of the season.

Bellerin has made 5 first-team appearances across all competitions for Arsenal this season, having missed the start of the campaign with the cruciate ligament rupture that kept him out for 15 league games last term.

The Spaniard was unable to prevent defeat upon his return against Leicester City, but there are plenty of Arsenal fans who want to see him stay at the Emirates.

This is signified by the replies to AFTV’s tweet about Albert Botines’ comment, as there were pleas for the 24-year-old to stay put.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the comment, including posts from disappointed Arsenal fans, can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has claimed he may struggle to field an 11 against Luton Town, as reported by the club’s official website.

What did he say?

The Addicks didn’t even fill their bench for the 2-2 draw against Cardiff City due to the injury crisis they are enduring, as they only had six.

With that considered, the last thing Bowyer needed was for another of his players to pick up an injury during the game, that was to be the case though, as Josh Cullen was stretchered off in the 56th minute.

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When asked about the Republic of Ireland international’s injury, Bowyer was quoted on Charlton’s official website as saying: “Not good, especially with Tuesday coming up. I was just saying to the staff that we’re going to struggle to put 11 out. We’re just running out of numbers.

“You see the kids we had to bring on and they did great by the way, but to bring them on is asking a lot from them because they haven’t played games before.

“Especially Alfie, Alfie’s come on and he’s never played a game for us, not even when we were in League One. So to then just throw him in against a good Cardiff side… but we have no choice. That’s the situation we’re in, but like I said before, we’re in every game and it shows how well we’re doing and what a good group I have.”

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Growing concerns

The amount of injuries that Charlton are picking up is becoming a real concern, as Bowyer’s selection options are becoming seriously limited.

He will be boosted by the return of Darren Pratley, who was suspended for the Cardiff match, but that doesn’t change the fact that various players will still be unavailable.

Lyle Taylor had been deemed “touch and go” for Saturday’s match, so there will be hope that the striker can make it for the Luton match despite having previously missed out.

Four of the players on the bench for the Cardiff clash were aged 20 years old or younger, but if this lack of luck continues that number could grow further.

In other news, Charlton have identified a January transfer target to help ease the burden.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

It is a well-documented thing amongst Crystal Palace supporters.

The south London club only has one senior right-back within their ranks in Joel Ward, having failed to sign a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka following his £50m move to Manchester United.

At the very least, it does seem as if the Eagles are looking to amend their summer mistake by targeting a right-back in January – two names from the Championship have cropped up as potential recruits.

West Brom teenager Nathan Ferguson, and Nottingham Forest’s Matty Cash.

In the latter’s case, Everton and Southampton have also been monitoring the Forest man, with the Toffees said to be planning a £12m bid for the 22-year-old as reported by The Sun (print version, November 15, page 74).

With Ferguson, both Palace and Tottenham are keeping tabs on the 19-year-old’s situation at the Hawthorns.

West Brom’s No.36 is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and the Baggies are considering the decision to cash in on him this January to avoid losing him on the cheap this summer.

So, who would be the better option for Palace out of the two?

Well, in terms of the statistics, Cash betters Ferguson in almost every department.

Albeit three years older, Cash has scored two goals and recorded two assists from right-back this term, while also making an impressive 2.8 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game.

On the other hand, Ferguson has just one goal and one assist, while averaging 2.4 tackles per game.

So, on the basis of those numbers, Cash would be the better signing, right?

Well, while the Forest man has unquestionably enjoyed an impressive campaign so far, the Eagles should in fact sign Ferguson for one reason – his ability to play at right-back and left-back.

As aforesaid, Ward is Palace’s only right-back. However, it must also be noted that Patrick van Aanholt is the club’s only senior left-back as well, so the full-back areas are extremely weak for the Eagles.

In that respect, if Ferguson – who has made nine appearances at left-back and four at right-back – was brought to Selhurst Park this winter, Hodgson would have cover in both areas, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Cash looks substantially better than Ferguson on paper, although it is the teenager’s versatility that should see him favoured by those in charge of recruitment in SE25.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

In his column for The Daily Mirror, Stan Collymore has suggested Diego Simeone would be the perfect replacement for Unai Emery at Arsenal.

What did he say?

The Gunners’ miserable start to the campaign – they currently find themselves eighth in the Premier League table and already eight points off the top four – has seen the speculation on Emery’s long-term future at the club to intensity.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested the next run of games could prove to be decisive in whether the Spaniard is sacked or not, and now, Collymore has claimed Atletico Madrid manager Simeone would be exactly what the Gunners need right now.

He said: “The Arsenal board should now be testing Diego Simeone’s ambition and offering him the chance to test himself against Klopp, Mourinho and Pep. Do Arsenal want to keep playing nice continental passing football… I keep recalling Patrice Evra calling them nice boys. Or do you want teams turning up at the Emirates thinking: We’re not going to win here. This is a nasty place to come. Nice boys passing, or be an aggressive front-foot side.

“Forget going to Germany or Italy for a new manager, with Simeone they have a chance by saying, you have plateaued, eight years in Madrid, we will double your wages, we can parachute you in to compete against Mourinho, Klopp, Pep.

“He has the hard working attitude and force of character to change that squad. Emery was never going to be a revolutionary. They should – with permission – send the owners over to meet him and say: We know you don’t really fancy leaving Madrid, but here is a vision for you of the potential of Arsenal Football Club. He would fit what Arsenal need almost perfectly.”

Spirit

Whether Simeone would want to leave Atletico Madrid for a team currently outside even the Europa League places in the Premier League at the moment is certainly up for debate. But there can be no question that were the Argentine to move to the Emirates, it would certainly raise the atmosphere up several notches.

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He would bring an intensity and passion with his side-line antics, and the fact his Atletico side have continued to battle bravely against the riches of Barcelona and Real Madrid in both La Liga and in the Champions League, is a great testament to his managerial abilities. He may not play the pretty football that the Gunners have long been associated with under Arsene Wenger, but he would certainly make them tougher to beat.

Last year, his side conceded just 29 goals in the league – six goals less than the second-best team. He would add a defensive resilience that has been lacking for so long at Arsenal, and could really transform them.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans want former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri to replace Unai Emery.