Elche vs. Barcelona: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Copa del Rey Game
Barcelona travel to Elche for the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie with the outcome all but decided.
A five-star performance in the first leg has seen the Catalans best-placed to play either Atletico Madrid (likely) or Real Madrid over the course of the next fortnight.
Even though an Elche win is unlikely, Fran Escriba will surely want to restore some pride.
Let’s take a look at a few things that may shape the outcome of this one…
A Chance for Youth
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This match is the perfect opportunity for Luis Enrique to give youth a chance.
It's debatable that there'll be anything like the furore post-Real Sociedad if he were to leave the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar on the bench again in this one.
They'd be nothing more than a safety blanket if the home side were able to claw themselves back into the tie.
At 5-0 down, only the most fervent of Elche supporters will believe their side are in with a chance.
Expect to see Sergi Samper, Adama Traore and Munir El Haddadi playing a full 90 minutes.
Winnable League Match for Elche in Next Round of La Liga
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In the race for survival in La Liga, Elche already find themselves five points adrift of safety.
Just a few days after this tie, Fran Escriba's side are up against Levante, the team that are two points ahead of them, per WhoScored, with only three wins all season long and just one of those away from home.
Although Escriba will want to remain competitive and not embarrass his club's good name, for all intents and purposes this is a match that is already well beyond Elche.
On that basis, we might see some rotation with a view to getting a far more important three points in the league.
Lucho's Last Stand?
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Despite a magnificent win against Atletico Madrid, Luis Enrique is a man under pressure.
The disastrous loss at Real Sociedad seems to have been the final straw for a number of players, and with a huge dressing room row noted in the public domain, it could see Lucho on borrowed time.
Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail noted that the manager's future is in doubt and it's perhaps only the result against Atleti that has granted him a stay of execution.
Elche Will Park the Bus
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It's a fairly safe bet that the home side will put up the barricades for this one.
The last thing that the team need is another hammering, something that will destroy fragile confidence even further.
Twelve goals conceded in their last four meetings with the Catalans, per Fussball Wettpoint, isn't a statistic Elche will want to dwell on, however, they can at least look at one positive.
While they've failed to score in those four meetings, they did manage to hold Barca to a goalless draw on their last visit to the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
Another battling performance will be just the ticket in this one.
Undroppable Messi?
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While there is no real need for Lionel Messi to start this match, is Luis Enrique brave enough to drop him again?
Former Barcelona player Juliano Belletti noted in an interview on Arena SporTV, via Joe Wright of Goal:
"Messi doesn't like being on the bench. He doesn't accept rotation, which, in the long term, is important.
"
When I was at Barcelona, I saw him have discussions with the coaching staff because he didn't want to miss a game.
The Barcelona of today is Messi. If they've won so many titles, it was because of the high standards Messi offered. It seems normal to me that he'd have certain privileges.
If he wants to play, to keep a calm atmosphere, you should let him play.
If there is a power struggle developing behind the scenes, then it'll be interesting to note the next moves in this chess game.
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