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Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is considering leaving forward Antoine Griezmann on the bench yet again for Wednesday’s crucial Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Sevilla at the Camp Nou.
Griezmann has started Barca’s last two matches on the bench and looks set to be named as a substitute once again, according to Cope’s Helena Condis. Koeman is thinking about playing the same team that beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday.
The Barca boss raised a few eyebrows with his team selection at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. He switched formation from the usual 4-3-3, employed three center-backs and two wing-backs, and played Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi in attack.
Koeman’s game plan worked well with Dembele and Messi scoring in a comfortable win for the visitors. Indeed the performance was one of Barca’s best of the season so far which means it’s no surprise to see Koeman contemplating keeping faith with the same team.
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Koeman Explains Griezmann Omission
Koeman did speak about his decision to leave Griezmann out after Saturday’s win and denied he was punishing the Frenchman. Griezmann has gone six games without a goal after a hot streak at the start of the year that yielded seven goals and three assists in eight matches.
The Barca boss was asked after the win if he was sending a message to the misfiring 29-year-old and denied that was the case, as reported by AS.
It’s not a message, no. We decided to change the system and, to be able to get in behind, we put Dembele up top. With the first goal, we said that we needed someone quicker than Griezmann on [Lionel] Messi’s side. It’s not a punishment.
Griezmann’s last goals for Barca came in the last round of the Copa del Rey. The Frenchman scored twice as the Catalan giants came from 2-0 down to win 5-3 at Granada.
Griezmann Looking Sharp in Training
Barca could still use Griezmann off the bench if he does not start against Sevilla, and the World Cup winner has looked sharp in training this week ahead of the match.
Barcelona will need that sharpness if they are to overcome a strong Sevilla side that hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg. Koeman also called on his side to be more effective in front of goal at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
We know that a 2-0 against us is difficult to overcome but there are options. We have demonstrated for some time now that the team is hungry, and the team is mentally ready to take on difficult tasks.
Of course, we need more effectiveness than we have shown recently. But we have our chances, we’ve created more opportunities than our opponents. If this happens again then I just hope we can be more efficient and keep a clean sheet which is vital.
The Catalan giants have been guilty of wasting chances this season but must be clinical if they are to progress. Koeman also stressed the importance of a clean sheet as another goal for Sevilla in the tie would make an already difficult task even harder.
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