Villa at the Camp Nou: a patched-up Barça defence meets Europe's form side

Four defenders are out, the top eight is the target, and Unai Emery arrives unbeaten in the Champions League. Here is how tonight is likely to be decided.

Two weeks ago Barcelona were a team that could not stop winning. Eleven straight victories in all competitions ended in Paris, where PSG won 4-2, and then Kylian Mbappé scored twice in a 2-1 Clásico defeat at the Camp Nou. Saturday's 6-1 rout of Alavés steadied the ship. Tonight's visit of Aston Villa tells us whether it is properly back on course.

The table explains the urgency. Barça are 8th in the Champions League league phase on 6 points, the last automatic place in the round of 16, according to NBC Sports' standings. Villa are 2nd on 9 points, level with leaders PSG, having won all three of their games with 12 goals scored and 3 conceded.

Hansi Flick did not hide the target. "We want to be among the top eight," he said on Monday, in remarks carried by the club. He also refused to read too much into the two defeats: "Against Real Madrid the result could have been different, and the same against PSG. I think we played at the same level."

The back four problem

The hardest question is in defence. Jules Koundé, Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Xavi Espart are all out, with Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji also unavailable. "We've got four players out in defence, quality players, and it's not easy to manage that," Flick said, as reported by Barça Universal.

Against Alavés the answer was improvisation. Frenkie de Jong played at centre-back beside Pau Cubarsí, and the academy midfielder Brian Fariñas made his debut at right-back. Flick said Fariñas "is an option for tomorrow, but there are others", and that Gerard Martín "can play as a centre-back or a left-back".

“We can make history. To win La Liga and the Champions League.”

Hansi Flick, Monday's press conference

Heavy's projected line-up has Gerard Martín alongside Cubarsí, with João Cancelo at right-back and Alejandro Balde at left-back, behind a 4-2-3-1 built on Rodri and Pedri. That is a projection, not a confirmed team, and Flick's weekend choices suggest Fariñas and De Jong remain live options.

Jackson against the high line

Villa's danger man is Nicolas Jackson, who has 8 goals in his first 12 games for the club, 3 of them in this competition, per the club's preview. He scored both goals when Villa ended Manchester City's perfect start 2-1 on October 24. Flick: "Jackson is performing at an incredible level."

That matters because Barça defend high, and whichever centre-back pairing Flick picks will be a makeshift one. Jackson's runs in behind will test Cubarsí's reading of the game and his partner's pace. One misjudged step and Villa have exactly the counter-attacking weapon to punish it.

The flip side is Villa's own record on the road. They have conceded 8 goals in their last five away games, according to Goal's results page, including three at Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last week. They are 10th in the Premier League on 12 points. Barça have scored 46 times in 11 league games.

Where the game is won

On Barça's right, Lamine Yamal is likely to meet Ian Maatsen, who starts at left-back in Heavy's projected Villa XI. Yamal has 13 Champions League goals, level with Mbappé's record for goals in the competition before turning 20, per Heavy. One more tonight would make the record his alone.

In midfield, Rodri and Pedri face Boubacar Kamara and João Gomes, with John McGinn and Emiliano Buendía drifting inside. Unai Emery usually sets up 4-2-3-1 but shifts shape to the opponent. He is without Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

There is a personal angle too. Anthony Gordon, signed from Newcastle in the summer, faces Premier League opposition tonight and told Mundo Deportivo that competing for every trophy is "good pressure". He scored his second league goal for the club on Saturday, a chipped finish off the bench.

The verdict: a win would lift Barça to 9 points and keep the top-eight target firmly in their hands before the trip to Baku on November 25. A defeat, with Atlético away on Sunday, would turn a bad fortnight into a genuine wobble.

Then the Metropolitano: first against second

Sunday's league trip to Atlético could hand Simeone an all-time record or give Barça a five-point cushion.

Win or lose tonight, the week's second test is bigger domestically. Barcelona go to Atlético Madrid on Sunday, November 8, at 12:00 PM PT (21:00 CET), leading LaLiga on 30 points to Atlético's 28, with Real Madrid on 27, per Goal's table.

Atlético have won seven league games in a row and have the best defence in the division, 8 goals conceded. Their latest was a 2-0 win at Levante on Saturday, through Álex Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone, although beIN Sports noted Atlético's xG was just 0.58 to Levante's 1.25.

Diego Simeone sits on 344 LaLiga wins, level with Luis Aragonés for the all-time record, according to Yahoo Sports. Beating Barça would make the record his. Grimaldo has 4 goals and 2 assists, the most goal contributions of any LaLiga defender, and Álex Baena has 5 goals and 3 assists.

Recent history is mixed. Atlético won 4-0 in last season's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg and knocked Barça out of the Champions League quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate in April. Barça won both league meetings, 3-1 at home and 2-1 at the Metropolitano, per Sports Mole.

Barça 6-1 Alavés: Fermín runs the show

LaLiga matchday 11, Saturday, October 31, Spotify Camp Nou. The only first-team match in the last seven days.

Barcelona had 77 per cent of the ball, completed 771 passes at 93 per cent and created 3.19 expected goals to Alavés's 0.62, per ESPN. Raphinha scored twice, Lamine Yamal twice, Fermín López once and Anthony Gordon once; Mariano Díaz replied late for Alavés.

The club's match report says the result was Flick's 100th win as Barça coach and ended a two-game losing run. The goals came at 8, 23, 41, 45+1, 64 and 81 minutes. Pedri and Cancelo were booked, per FutbolFantasy.

The Digest's own ratings, informed by the club, ESPN, FutbolFantasy and ElDesmarque reports. Starters plus substitutes with at least 10 minutes.

Chart: each bar is the player's mark out of 10; the number at the end states it. In words: Fermín López 9.5; Raphinha 9; Lamine Yamal 9; João Cancelo 7.5; Pedri 7.5; Anthony Gordon 7.5; Brian Fariñas 7; Pau Cubarsí 7; Frenkie de Jong 7; Rodri 7; Gabriel Jesus 7; Marc Bernal 6.5; Joan García 6; Alejandro Balde 6; Karim Adeyemi 5.

Gerard Martín came on for the final nine minutes or so and is not rated. Minutes played differ by about one between sources. ElDesmarque's own marks gave Fermín a 10 and Adeyemi a 4, per its ratings page.

Aston Villa: perfect in Europe, patchy in England

Emery's side have won all three European games but have wobbled domestically.

Aston Villa have beaten Club Brugge 3-2 away, Fenerbahçe 6-0 and Viking 3-1 in this season's Champions League. Domestically they are 10th in the Premier League on 12 points, after a start that included a 4-0 defeat at Brighton, per Goal.

Their last five: a 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday, a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Bournemouth, a 2-1 win over Manchester City, the 3-1 win over Viking and a 1-0 win at Newcastle. Unai Emery usually plays 4-2-3-1 and adapts it to the opponent.

The three to stop: Nicolas Jackson (8 goals in 12 games for Villa), Ross Barkley (3 Champions League goals) and Emiliano Buendía (2). Pau Torres and Victor Lindelöf are expected at centre-back. Johan Manzambi, a reported Barcelona target, is likely in the attacking midfield line.

Vulnerabilities: eight goals conceded in their last five away games, with over 2.5 goals in four of them, per Goal. That is the opening for a Barça attack averaging more than four league goals a game. The two clubs have not met in a competitive match for more than four decades.

Operation centre-back: Flick asks, Deco weighs the money

With four defenders injured, the club has a stated need. Whether it can afford to act in January is another matter.

The clearest signal came from the coach. Asked about a centre-back on October 30, Hansi Flick said the subject had been discussed with Deco and Bojan: "Si podemos, quizá lo haremos" ("If we can, maybe we will"), per Mundo Deportivo as relayed by Fichajes.net.

Mundo Deportivo has reported that Barcelona's technical committee agrees a centre-back should be signed, in January or in the summer, and has a four-man shortlist, as summarised by Sports Mole. Certainty: concrete interest, with no bid reported.

Lisandro Martínez: the cheap-if-possible option

Lisandro Martínez of Manchester United is the most concrete name. Sport reported the interest on November 1 and 2, and The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell has described it as genuine but price-dependent, per Goal. His deal runs to June 2027, with United holding a one-year option.

That contract is the whole story. Barça will only move in January if the fee is small; otherwise they could wait and approach him as a free agent next summer. Mundo Deportivo said talks with his agents would begin in the first half of November. Atlético are also watching. Status: concrete interest.

Natan: Betis say not now

Spanish reports put Natan of Real Betis on Barça's list at around €30 million plus add-ons. Betis do not want to sell mid-season and value him at a minimum of €35 million, up to €40 million with add-ons, per Fichajes.net. His release clause is €80 million and his contract runs to 2030. Status: concrete interest.

The bigger names, and the money

Alessandro Bastoni of Inter was linked by Mundo Deportivo, but Italian outlet TMW says a mid-season exit is hard to imagine. Joško Gvardiol has been called a "dream" target, per The Hard Tackle, realistic only in 2027. Both are rumours.

The money is tight. LaLiga set Barça's squad-cost limit at €582.76 million in September and says the club is inside the 1:1 rule, per EFE. But summer arrivals cost roughly what departures freed, and treasurer Ferran Olivé has said sales are needed before any winter signing, per Crónica Global.

Balde: a January exit is now a real possibility

The left-back has fallen behind Cancelo, and Premier League clubs are circling.

Alejandro Balde has lost his place to João Cancelo. Fabrizio Romano reported that a January move is a "strong possibility" if a good offer arrives and that the decision rests with the player, per TEAMtalk, which names Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan as interested clubs.

Spanish reports put Barça's asking price at €40 million to €45 million or more, per Fichajes.net; that figure is not confirmed by the club. A swap involving Lisandro Martínez has been floated in the press. Status: concrete interest.

Flick was protective on Monday. "When you don't play often, you lack confidence. João Cancelo is in great form. I'll help him regain his confidence," he said, calling Balde "a great person and a hard worker".

Araújo at Liverpool: what exactly is the deal?

Reports disagree on whether Liverpool hold an option to buy.

Ronald Araújo joined Liverpool on loan on August 10. ESPN reported a €55 million option to make it permanent; Romano later said there is no buy option at all, per Barça Universal. The Digest cannot resolve the conflict.

A TEAMtalk report carried by Football365 on October 30 claimed Barça had sounded out Liverpool about a January sale at around £40 million to £45 million. His agent called it "too early". Single-sourced; treat as a rumour.

The Rumour Mill

Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa). Rumour: Deco is reportedly monitoring the midfielder, valued around €60 million, per Barça Universal. Aggregator report; a lead only.

William Pacho (PSG). Ruled out: A report says the defender is not an option, per Barça Universal.

Julián Álvarez (Atlético). Rumour, 2027: Romano said in September Barça "has not erased his name", per madrid-barcelona.com. Older context.

Jordan Arnolin (Estoril, 18). Scouting: Portuguese paper Record says Barça are watching, per Crónica Global. Single-sourced.

Frenkie de Jong (out). Rumour: September talk of Premier League and Saudi interest has gone quiet; he is now covering at centre-back. Low credibility.

Raphinha's record pace and a defence held together with tape

The captain is scoring at a historic rate while Flick juggles six absentees.

Raphinha has 15 LaLiga goals in 11 games, three of them penalties, per FotMob. Barcelona say that equals a club record for this stage shared with César Rodríguez and Lionel Messi; World Soccer Talk notes Messi had 15 at the same point in 2012-13. Flick: "He's our captain. With us he's playing at a fantastic level."

Behind him the league scoring chart reads Yamal 10, Fermín 5, Gabriel Jesus 3, and Gordon and Adeyemi 2 each. Lamine Yamal's second goal against Alavés was his 55th official goal for the first team.

Who is out, and for how long

"I hope Eric, Koundé and Christensen are fit again after the break, and even Olmo. Espart, not yet," Flick said, per Barça Universal. Sport has suggested Christensen could be ready for Atlético; Flick was more cautious. Injury details also from Khel Now.

Selection notes

Frenkie de Jong has become an emergency centre-back. João Cancelo, a free signing from Al Hilal, has made the left-back spot his, which is squeezing Balde. On Gavi, Flick said he "is always an option" and that "the important thing is that he has confidence".

The captaincy order, per the club's season listing on Wikipedia, runs Raphinha, Pedri, Eric García, De Jong and Yamal. With Eric García out, Pedri is the senior deputy.

Fariñas earns his debut as Barça Atlètic stay top

A midfielder at right-back, a stoppage-time winner and a Youth League date with Villa.

Brian Fariñas, a 20-year-old midfielder from Valencia who joined Barcelona in 2018, played the full 90 minutes at right-back against Alavés on his first-team debut, per the club. Goal reports he now wears the No. 4 shirt.

Flick on Fariñas and Yamal: "They link up well, they're friends, and they did very well against Alavés."

Barça Atlètic

Juliano Belletti's side lead their Segunda Federación group with 22 points from 9 games. They lost 2-0 at Olot on October 25, then beat bottom side Arnedo 2-1 on October 31, Pedro Rodríguez scoring before Alex González won it in stoppage time, per Ahora. Next: away at Manresa on Sunday.

Juvenil A

Pol Planas's Under-19s won 6-0 at Osasuna on October 25 and drew 1-1 with Zaragoza on October 31, per the club's results. In the UEFA Youth League they have 4 points from three games and host Aston Villa today at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, 7:00 AM PT.

Out on loan

Ronald Araújo featured as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Arsenal on November 1; ESPN's match data credits him with two shots. Marc-André ter Stegen is on a season loan at Ajax, where previews list him as the likely starter. The Digest could not confirm this week's minutes for Marc Casadó (Deportivo), Diego Kochen (Lyngby) or Áron Yaakobishvili (Almería).

Twelve goals in four days, and a perfect European record

Pere Romeu's side top Liga F and are the only team with maximum points in the Champions League.

FC Barcelona Femení won 8-0 at HB Køge on October 29. Caroline Graham Hansen (penalty), Ewa Pajor, Esmee Brugts, Patri Guijarro, Clara Serrajordi and Kika Nazareth all scored, and Claudia Pina added two, per UEFA. Barça are the only side with 9 points from 9.

On November 1 they won 4-0 against Badalona, played in Palamós. Kerolin scored her first two Liga F goals of the season, Graham Hansen converted a penalty won by Carla Julià, and Pina scored her 10th goal of the season, per the club. A Badalona player was sent off after a review requested by Romeu.

Table and team news

Barça lead Liga F on 24 points with a +32 goal difference, two ahead of Real Madrid, per LaLiga. Their only defeat was 2-1 at Real Sociedad on October 18.

The cost: Kika Nazareth has a right thigh injury and will miss four to five weeks, and Serrajordi left the Badalona game with severe ankle pain, diagnosis pending, per Ara. Seven Femení players are on the FIFPRO World XI shortlist.

Next: Madrid CFF at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday, November 8 (7:00 AM PT), then Arsenal at home in the Champions League on Thursday, November 12 (9:45 AM PT).

The November window: Raphinha heads to Singapore

Most national squads are still to be named.

The men's international window runs from November 9 to 17, per SI. Brazil have named Raphinha for friendlies in Singapore against Japan (November 14) and Singapore (November 17), per Comuniate.

Spain's squad has not been announced. September's Spain list included Cubarsí, Eric García, Rodri, Pedri, Fermín, Olmo and Yamal; Eric García and Olmo are currently injured. Spain play away to Czechia on November 12 and host England on November 15 in the Nations League, per UEFA, with Gordon a possible England pick.

No other Barça men's or Femení players have played international football this week. Spain's women meet Chile on November 28 and Venezuela on December 4; that squad is not yet named.

FIFPRO nominations. Cubarsí, Rodri, Pedri and Yamal are among 26 men's World XI candidates; Cata Coll, Paredes, Aitana Bonmatí, Guijarro, Vicky López, Pajor and Pina are on the women's list, per Yahoo Sports.

Camp Nou. Capacity is 62,600 and should pass 70,000 this season as two rings of boxes open. Barça then move to Montjuïc for about six months while the roof goes on, per Crónica Global, with a final capacity of 104,600.

World Cup bid. Joan Laporta and Barcelona's mayor Jaume Collboni are aligning on a bid to host the 2030 World Cup final at the Camp Nou, per the same report.

Clásico fallout. Catalan police identified a fan accused of assaulting Eduardo Camavinga during Madrid's celebrations, and LaLiga filed a complaint, per Emisoras Unidas. The Grada d'Animació was closed for Alavés and reopened with an ultimatum, per Culémania.

Negreira case. LaLiga joined Real Madrid in opposing a private association's bid to join the case as an accuser, per The Objective. The case remains in its pre-trial phase.

Boardroom. Joan Soler became marketing vice-president in an October 29 reshuffle, and Jaume Santiveri takes charge of youth football, per Culémania.

In words: Barcelona 30 points (+34), Atlético 28 (+14), Real Madrid 27 (+18), Betis 23 (+3), Real Sociedad 19 (0), Sevilla 17 (-2), all from 11 games, per Goal.