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Barcelona logo
La Liga | Gameweek 12
Nov 11, 2018 at 3.15pm UK
 
Real Betis logo

3-4

Messi (68' pen., 90'), Vidal (79')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Firpo (20'), Joaquin (34'), Lo Celso (71'), Canales (83')

How Barcelona could line up against Real Betis

Sports Mole looks at how Barcelona could line up in Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Betis.

Barcelona will be looking to put their fourth straight La Liga win on the board when they welcome Real Betis to Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon.

The Catalan giants have beaten Sevilla, Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in their last three to rise to the summit, and currently sit three points clear of second-placed Espanyol ahead of the latest round of fixtures in Spain's top flight.

Barcelona have been held at Camp Nou in the league by Girona and Athletic Bilbao this season, but Betis will enter this weekend's match having lost three of their last four league fixtures.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how Barcelona could line up in their final fixture before the latest international break.


POS BAR XI

Out: Samuel Umtiti (knee), Thomas Vermaelen (hamstring), Philippe Coutinho (hamstring), Sergi Samper (calf)
Doubtful: Lionel Messi (forearm fracture)

Lionel Messi is in contention to start for Barcelona having recovered from a forearm fracture, although it seems more likely that the Argentine will be named on the bench, with the Catalan giants airing on the side of caution.

That said, news that Philippe Coutinho will miss the next few weeks with a hamstring problem means that Barcelona are a touch light in attack.

Luis Suarez will again start at the tip of the attack, and the Uruguay international could be joined by Ousmane Dembele and Rafinha, although the latter would start on the bench if Messi was indeed selected in the XI.

Malcom is also an option for the Catalan giants, having come off the bench to score against Inter Milan in the Champions League earlier this week.

Clement Lenglet will again start alongside Gerard Pique at centre-back with Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen both unavailable, but there could be a change at right-back with Nelson Semedo in line to make the XI.

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Written by
Matt Law
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Barcelona captain Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on October 3, 2018
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid20144247202746
2Atletico MadridAtletico20135234132144
3Barcelona20123552232939
4Athletic Bilbao20116331181339
5Villarreal209653831733
6Mallorca209381925-630
7Real Sociedad208481714328
8GironaGirona208482827128
9Rayo Vallecano206862323026
10Osasuna206862429-526
11Sevilla207582329-626
12Real BetisBetis206772226-425
13Celta Vigo2073102932-324
14Las PalmasLas Palmas2064102533-822
15Leganes205781929-1022
16Getafe204881417-320
17AlavesAlaves2055102432-820
18Espanyol2054111932-1319
19Valencia2037101929-1016
20Real ValladolidValladolid2043131439-2515


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