'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 The indifferent form of Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann’s lack of form since making the switch from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona has baffled everyone.
Trending
The Frenchman, who is yet to justify his astronomical transfer fee, has managed just 15 goals in his 52 appearances for Barcelona. Griezmann was expected to find his old form back after the arrival of Koeman, but that hasn't happened yet this season.
Griezmann, who was last selected in the Barcelona playing-eleven in the game against Getafe, fared miserably in that game and squandered easy chances as the Blaugrana endured their first defeat of the season.
In fact, Griezmann's presence in the team only seems to blunt the right side of the Barcelona attack, where he has been utilised by Koeman but has looked uncomfortable.
The Frenchman has appeared four times for Barcelona this season and is yet to find the back of the net. He was an unused substitute in the midweek UEFA Champions League game.
Despite his struggles, there’s no doubt about the quality of Griezmann as a footballer as he has continued to shine in France colours. However, Barcelona’s inability to get the best out of him puts them in a distinct disadvantage ahead of the first El Clasico game of the season.
#2 Barcelona's absence of a natural number 9
When Luis Suarez left the Camp Nou this summer, Barcelona lost a player who had been brilliant for them in the El Clasico in recent years.
The Uruguayan faced Real Madrid 15 times as a Barcelona player, scoring 11 goals and registering five assists. In fact, the last time the Blaugrana lost the El Clasico in the league with Suarez in the team was in April 2016.
Suarez missed the last meeting between the two sides in March this year due to injury, a game that Barcelona lost 0-2.
Since Suarez's arrival at Barcelona, no player has scored more goals in the El Clasico than the Uruguayan striker.
During the same period, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have managed five goals apiece. Interestingly, Suarez has scored the same number of goals in La Liga El Clasicos (nine) as Ronaldo has in his entire career despite playing seven fewer games.
Suarez is also the first Barcelona player other than Messi to score a hattrick against Real Madrid since Brazilian sensation Romario in 1994. To go into the El Claisco without the Uruguayan and without any recognised number 9 in their team would surely be a massive drawback for Barcelona.
#1 Ronald Koeman’s untested 4-2-3-1 formation
Barcelona and the 4-3-3 formation have been a match made in heaven. It is a formation that has worked wonders at the club for years and one that the club's current manager Ronald Koeman has played in as a Barcelona player himself.
However, with Koeman preferring a 4-2-3-1 formation in his starting-eleven since taking charge at the Camp Nou, there’s very little chance that the Dutchman will change his system ahead of the game against Real Madrid.
Since 2006, the 4-3-3 formation has been used in 39 of 46 La Liga games between the two Spanish giants. The 4-2-3-1 formation, as expected, has not been used in any of these games.
Considering the same, Koeman’s 4-2-3-1 system is a huge departure from the tried and tested shapes used by Barcelona for the El Clasico before, something that makes the new formation's effectiveness against Real Madrid very questionable.
Nevertheless, the Barcelona manager remains optimistic about the formation, because it makes the best use of the players at his disposal. However, the El Clasico might just be the first real test of the 4-2-3-1 system at Barcelona.
