How Barcelona might lineup next season

Ernesto Valverde is in his second season in charge and has already won 2 trophies, the League Cup, and the League. His team almost went unbeaten in the league and were defensively astute. It was almost a fairytale season in the league for Barcelona as they saw their fiercest rivals, Real Madrid, end up 17 points behind them in the league.

Although the Blaugrana's league season was a success, their Champions League campaign was a disaster. After a tough outing against Chelsea, winning 4-1 on aggregate, the Catalans were given a taste of their own medicine by being beaten 3-0 by Roma in Rome after a 4-1 win in Barcelona.

Even with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi in their ranks, Barcelona never looked like the Barcelona people love. The dominance was not seen, let alone, the tiki-taka. It just didn't feel like Barcelona.

Given that it was Valverde's first season in charge, he continued a more sensible approach to try and win the confidence of the fans and the board. Now in his second season, he will look forward towards bringing back the dominating football and mix it with his own philosophies and maybe even change the formation to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.

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Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen

MATS will look forward to dominate between the sticks for FCB

Marc-Andre ter Stegen or MATS had an excellent season with Barcelona, winning the league with the second most clean sheets against his name and was a protagonist in the defence that conceded just 29 goals all season in the league.

Given his impressive stats, he was touted, by most of the experts, to start Germany's World Cup defence ahead of Manuel Neuer who had just returned from injury. Eventually, it didn't happen and it turned out to be a disastrous World Cup campaign for the Germans.

Ter Stegans's back up is Jasper Cillissen. The Dutch was signed, after Claudio Bravo was sold to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, to give a tough competition to the German and he did impress in the few outings that he was given, but it just wasn't to be for him and remained on the bench for most of the season. Now he is being linked with a host of clubs and would like to grab the opportunity to move to a club where he is the first choice goalkeeper.

Barcelona are looking for his replacement in the likes of Simon Mignolet, Yan Sommer and Koen Casteels. These replacements are for the second choice goalkeeper as the first spot in the goalkeepers' category is saved for MATS.

Defenders

Barca signed Lenglet from Sevilla

Right Back: Sergi Roberto

Barcelona has been playing with a converted fullback, Sergi Roberto. This probably cost him his place in Spain's World Cup squad but his Barcelona career has been great in that context. He has started the important games ahead of the 27 million Euro signing, Nelson Semedo and has been the first choice right back for Valverde as he was for Luis Enrique.

Nelson Semedo has been impressive in the outings that he had but he has not been able to push Roberto out of his spot and given that Sergi Roberto is just 26 years old, it will be a long ask for the 24-year-old to dethrone the Spaniard from his starting place.

Centre Backs: Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti

Just like their eternal rivals, Real Madrid, Barcelona have two World Champions in their defensive ranks. Gerard Pique, 2010 World Cup winner, and Samuel Umtiti, 2018 World Cup winner. Both the centre-backs were the bedrock on which the defensive fortress was built in their outstanding league campaign. The duo was so good that the new signing, Yerry Mina, is being linked to a move away from the club after less than a year.

Another reason behind these transfer talks surrounding the Colombian is the signing of Clement Lenglet from Sevilla, for 32 million Euros. The Frenchman impressed several big names in Europe and was a target for a host of big clubs. Barcelona's capture of the former-Sevilla man means that there is even less space for Thomas Vermaelen.

Despite the new arrival and the young Yerry Mina in the squad, Valverde is likely to go with his trusted duo, Pique and Umtiti.

Left Back: Jordi Alba

Jordi Alba's life was completely contrasting in the last two seasons. He was left on the bench and was being linked with a move away after Luis Enrique changed his formation to 3-4-3 during the later stages of the season. After Enrique and Neymar left the club, Alba starting proving his worth to the club hierarchy and has his spot cemented in the starting XI. His connection with Leo Messi showed his attacking prowess and was instrumental in many goals that Barca scored and didn't let the opposition score.

Lucas Digne was signed from PSG as a backup and has seen himself sit on the bench for the most part of the season. given how good Alba has been and that he is 29 years old, he will the first choice left back in Valverde's starting XI.

Midfielders: Rakatic, Busquets; Dembele, Messi, Coutinho

This observation is based on the fact that Valverde, during his time with Athletic Bilbao, liked to play with 4-2-3-1. A double pivot is what he has played with during his time with Barcelona as well and will continue to do that. He will have to shackle Rakatic again so as to bring out the best out of his structure. Busquets will be the destroyer and will break the oppositions plays and start his own from the deep.

Arthur was signed for 27 million Euros and is seen as the successor to the departed Andres Iniesta. The Brazilian will surely see a lot of game time this season as the Andre Gomes is being linked to a move away after a horrific season with the Blaugrana, and Phillipe Coutinho will be moved to the flank to bring the best out of him.

Arthur will be used as a substitute more often as Busquets and Rakatic will start the games ahead of him. Even the signing of Frankie De Jong from Ajax should not change this scenario as he is a raw talent and will need some time to cope with life in Catalonia.

With CR7 gone, Leo Messi will look to dominate La Liga alone

We are all aware of Messi's style of play. He drops deep, deeper than the Mariana Trench (Sorry!), to get the ball and dictate play. He goes as far as the halfway line to get the ball when his team is unable to bring the ball out and then lays a beautiful through ball for any of his teammates to capitalize on. To bring the best out of Leo Messi, Valverde will have to play him as a false no.9 or a no. 10. As Luis Suarez is the no. 9, Valverde will twitch a little with his formation and start Leo Messi along with Suarez as a striker on paper then let him drop deeper to play as a no.10. Phillipe Coutinho will play as a wide winger and cut in to score his trademark goals. His goal for Brazil against the Swiss was a great example of that and so was his first goal for Barcelona. While Coutinho will take control of the left flank, the right flank will belong to Ousmane Dembele. The 21-year-old Frenchman hasn't had the best of starts to life in Barcelona after being injured for most of the first season, after a move form Borussia Dortmund for 105 million Euros, but will look forward to playing more games on the right flank and make moves to create chances and score goals.

Barcelona signed

Malcom

for 45 Million Euros from Bordeaux

While Dembele was signed last year for 105 million Euros, Barca have signed another 21- year old, Malcom, from Bordeaux, for 45 million Euros this season. The Catalans made a bid at the 11th hour and snatched the Brazilian from the hands of AS Roma who are now considering to take legal action against them. It would be interesting to see who Valverde plays more often, his recent signing, for whom they have risked being dragged to the court, or the 100 million wonder-kid that was seen as the next best thing after Mbappe.

Attacker: Luis Suarez

The Uruguayan did not have the best of World Cups this time around and saw his form drop near the end of last season. Despite all this, he is likely to start ahead of Paco Alcacer. The Spaniard wasn't called up for the Spanish National team for the World Cup because of lack of game time for his club. He has played second fiddle to Luis Suarez since being signed from Valencia and looks to continue that way.

Suarez' Barcelona career has been great as he has scored and assisted on regular intervals and his partnership with Leo Messi has been great. Barcelona fans will hope that connection remains the same and they retain their crown, this time, invincible.

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegan

DF: Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba

MF: Busquets, Rakatic; Dembele, Messi, Coutinho

FW: Suarez