Barcelona have experienced an average season by their high standards and they have already dropped points in eight of their 17 La Liga games. That sees them already seven points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid and the deficit could extend further with Diego Simeone's side having two games in hand.
Hence, the Blaugrana face a stiff task of reclaiming the Spanish crown and they find themselves in a position where they could miss out on the title for the second season running, something which has not happened to them since 2008 when Real Madrid won the league for successive years under two different managers in Fabio Capello and Bernd Schuster.
At present, Ronald Koeman’s side are third on the table with 31 points and they also face competition from reigning champions Madrid, who are five points ahead of them. The bookmakers put both Madrid teams as title favourites with Barcelona the dark horse, and you can use this lucky 15 calculator to calculate how different bets will work out for you when betting on the La Liga title race.
For Barcelona, while the top spot appears far off at the moment, we look into our predictions for the transfer window and how the Catalan giants could transform their season around and make a strong push for the title.
Improve their central defensive options:
The Blaugrana started the campaign with Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet at the heart of the defence, but the former has suffered a serious knee injury which could keep him out for a while. In his absence, Koeman has gone with either Ronald Araujo or Oscar Mingueza alongside Lenglet and there have been occasions where the young duo have played together. The Blaugrana’s league form has indeed improved in the past six weeks, but the trio have been culpable for some defensive mishaps which have cost them more points.
With Samuel Umtiti no longer in favour due to his spate of his knee injuries, the club may need another experienced centre-back in their ranks, who can bring more solidity at the back and help them keep clean sheets, which has been a rarity this term. It remains to be seen whether they can find a solution in January.
Get the best out of Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele:
Griezmann’s form has been a huge disappointment this campaign and he has contributed only three goals and three assists from 16 league appearances. The Frenchman has played everywhere in the attack including the centre-forward position where he excelled at Atletico Madrid, but has not been able to find his goalscoring touch. Griezmann has not found the back of the net for eight games and needs to return to scoring ways at the earliest to reduce some of the burden on captain Lionel Messi.
Dembele, on the other hand, has impressed in the Champions League with three goals and two assists from four games, but has not carried over his form to La Liga with only two goals from 12 outings. One of his main concerns has been injuries and he has already missed five games this term with a hamstring problem. He has not been able to hit top form after an untimely setback last month and Koeman will be hoping that the attacker can stay unscathed during the backend of the season and put up multiple standout displays.
Recruit a new centre-forward:
Neither Griezmann nor Martin Braithwaite have impressed leading the line this season and there have been occasions where Messi has been tasked with the role upfront. The Argentine has done the job with aplomb, but Koeman would ideally want the 33-year-old featuring in the right-wing position where he is most comfortable. Memphis Depay was talked up as an option last summer, but a deal failed to materialise due to financial constraints. With under six months left on his Lyon contract, there is the possibility that he could join on a cut-price deal this month.
Depay was transformed from a left winger to a centre-forward under Koeman when he was in charge of the Netherlands and that has seen him take his game to the next level. He has recently been in fine form with five goals from six league games which has helped Lyon take a three-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
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