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It's matchday! And it's a big one! Barcelona will look for a place in the Copa del Rey final against a tough adversary in Villarreal. After winning the first leg by a 3-1 score, the Blaugrana have a comfortable advantage that allows them to travel to El Madrigal without the giant pressure to win. But coach Luis Enrique is not taking this one for granted, and his squad list reflects that.
Enrique has named the strongest possible 18-man lineup for the game, which includes Luis Suárez and Javier Mascherano. Both have two yellow cards in this edition of La Copa, and another booking will make them miss the final. While it's still unknown whether or not Lucho will start them, they're part of the squad just in case the team needs them.
Per Lucho's decision, Claudio Bravo, Douglas Pereira, Marc Bartra and Sergi Roberto will not be in uniform tonight. These are the eighteen men selected by the coach for the game:
Goalkeepers: 1. Marc-André ter Stegen, 25. Jordi Masip
Defenders: 2. Martín Montoya, 3. Gerard Piqué, 14. Javier Mascherano, 18. Jordi Alba, 21. Adriano Correia, 22. Dani Alves, 24. Jérémy Mathieu
Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 6. Xavi Hernández, 8. Andrés Iniesta, 12. Rafinha Alcântara
Forwards: 7. Pedro Rodríguez, 9. Luis Suárez, 10. Lionel Messi, 11. Neymar Jr.
Expected Starting Lineup (4-3-3):
ter Stegen; Alves, Piqué, Mathieu, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Rafinha; Pedro, Messi, Neymar
The match starts at 20:00 CET, and you can follow and comment all the action right here, at Barça Blaugranes.
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