Araujo challenges the 'golden' couple.
Hi community!
Cubarsí and Eric, who had a great match against Valencia, won the Olympics together.
Against Valencia, Hansi Flick opted for the Cubarsí-Eric García pairing. Despite the focus being primarily on the six goals for Barcelona, the two defenders performed very well in the middle. Everything points to the pair playing together in the middle of the season, following the departure of Iñigo Martínez. Therefore, the pairing that led Spain to Olympic gold in 2024 will return. However, it wouldn't be surprising if Araujo were to be included for the Champions League match.
In any case, the strong performance of Eric and Cubarsí against Valencia indicates that they will be a recurring partnership for Hansi Flick. They already made history in 2024, winning gold in Paris and playing five of the six matches the national team played. They only missed the final group stage match, when Cubarsí was suspended and Eric García was rested. They played every minute in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
Valencia was the first time this season that the two Catalans played together. Eric García has started his matches in this start, but against Mallorca and Levante he played at right back instead of Koundé. In Vallecas, he did play in the center, but alongside Christensen. In Cubarsí's case, he played with Araujo in the first two matchdays and was rested in the third.
Barcelona has already fielded three different midfielders in this start to the competition. In the first two matchdays, they opted for Cubarsí and Araujo; in the third, for Eric and Christensen; and in the fourth, for the Martorell defender and the Estanyol defender. The two Catalans performed well and kept a clean sheet.
In any case, it's not ruled out that Hansi Flick could start Araujo against Newcastle, seeking greater depth in the center of defense. Furthermore, the Uruguayan was rested against Valencia and didn't play a single minute, as he had arrived on Thursday from international commitments.
See You soon!
Posted Using INLEO