90min

Barcelona predicted lineup vs Real Valladolid - La Liga

By Grey Whitebloom

Xavi Hernandez's side have only scored in one of their last four competitive matches
Xavi Hernandez's side have only scored in one of their last four competitive matches / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
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Barcelona welcome a familiar face to Camp Nou when they host Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday evening.

The great Brazilian phenomenon Ronaldo only spent one season at Barcelona but what a season it was. 47 goals in 49 games - including arguably his greatest ever - as the then 20-year-old spearheaded Sir Bobby Robson's Copa del Rey and Cup Winners' Cup winners. Two and a half decades on, Ronaldo is Real Valladolid's president as the newly promoted side travels to Catalonia.

Here's the XI that Xavi Hernandez may select for the reunion this Sunday.

Barcelona predicted lineup vs Real Valladolid (3-5-1-1)

1. Barcelona XI

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - An awkward run threatened to stymy Ter Stegen's footballing career before he had even reached adolescence. But the frequent nosebleeds his youth team's goalkeeper suffered opened up a spot between the sticks which the German filled.

CB: Ronald Araujo - Amid the legal intricacies in which Barcelona have found themselves embroiled, a mistake from Joan Laporta's board could allow Araujo to leave for free next summer despite signing a renewal last April (per ARA).

CB: Andreas Christensen - Before joining Chelsea as a 15-year-old, 27 clubs had invited Christensen to train with them. Barcelona won the race for his services when he left west London for free this summer.

CB: Eric Garcia - In a clear statement of intent from Xavi, Eric Garcia is one of at least three - if not four including the unregistered Jules Kounde - centre-backs ahead of Gerard Pique in Barcelona's pecking order.

RWB: Ousmane Dembele - During a performance which saw him shifted around the pitch in a raft of positions, Dembele scored his first La Liga goal since February against Real Sociedad.

CM: Gavi - The pint-sized ratter was the only teenager in Europe's top five leagues to rack up double digits for yellow cards last season (11).

CM: Sergio Busquets - Carles Busquets - Sergio's dad - was in the Barcelona squad that Ronaldo joined back in 1996, playing second fiddle to Vitor Baia in goal.

CM: Pedri - A fan of the strategic board game Catan, Pedri often looks two steps ahead of his opponents on the pitch.

LWB: Alejandro Balde - Xavi had enough faith in the 18-year-old to start Jordi Alba on the bench for the first time since October last weekend.

AM: Ansu Fati - In less than an hour of football this season, Fati has scored or assisted three La Liga goals already.

ST: Robert Lewandowski - On his 34th birthday last weekend, Lewandowski opened his account for Barcelona with a brace.

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