Pep Guardiola slides Andres Iniesta into the midfield as the World Cup winner makes his return from injury, dropping Seydou Keita for the bench. It's the expected shape - there was no need for the Barcelona manager to change anything else after what had been a highly successful affair for the Catalans in the first leg of this Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid. They're winning 2-0 on aggregate, and it looks like it will take something catastrophic to knock them off their perch.
Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid, 2011 UEFA Champions League Semifinal: Barcelona Lineup
So, we're getting the standard 4-3-3, with Carles Puyol filling in at left back in the continued absence of most players capable of playing there. There's some good news for the defence, however: Eric Abidal is back on the team after being sidelined for months with a liver tumour and could feature later on in the match.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Victor Valdes; Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves; Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta; David Villa, Lionel Messi, Pedro.
Substitutes: Seydou Keita, Eric Abidal, Ibrahim Afellay, Jeffren Suarez, Olazabal, Thiago, Fontas.
See More:
