The upcoming rivalry, the ‘2’ of the League

In football, as in everything, taste is free, but once the first third of the competition is played, there is a great deal of consensus when it comes to coaching. Jules Koundéfrom FC Barcelona, ​​​​​​and Oscar Minguezanumber ‘2’ of the 2024-25 League, although the Blaugrana officially wear ’23’ and the ‘light blue’, the ‘3’. With the madridista Dani Carvajal injured for the rest of the campaign, the influence on their teams of the French international and the new Spanish international, each with their own style, was of more than average importance. This Saturday (9 pm), in Balaidos, faces will be seen in the exciting Celta-Barça that will face two of the most exciting teams of the season.

Koundé26 years old, is one of the regulars in the Barça lineup Hansi Flickwith a total of 1,019 minutes in the 13 games he played in the League, with one goal and one assist to his credit in this competition. However, his best attacking contribution came in the Champions League match in Belgrade against Red Star (2-5), where he won the UEFA MVP after providing 3 assists. Another famous performance by Koundé, who flip He was only left on the bench due to some ill-timed technical calls, it was in the 0-4 Clásico at the Bernabéu, where he minimized the Real Madrid winger’s impact on the game. Vinicius Juniorhe was also the Barça footballer with the most interventions that night, 74.

Offensively, Mingueza’s role is the ‘2’ with the best statistics in the League, with 5 assists, one of them against Real Madrid, and 2 own goals so far in a tournament where he has played 912 minutes, which are distributed. over 12 games. The former Barça youth player, trained at the culé club from the junior category, signed a letter of independence in 2022 for Celta. His apparent progress has put him in the rumors of a possible play-off Barça club, which saved the right of first refusal and 50% of a future transfer from Celta when it allowed the Catalan defender to -packing his bags to live. Vigo, who has a signed contract until 2026 that Balaídos will be happy to extend.

This week, at 25 years old, Mingueza felt like a ‘real’ full international after six call-ups without stepping on the pitch. Finally, he was a starter, completing the Nations League match that Spain won in a tough match against Switzerland (3-2). Previously, on June 8, 2021, Mingueza lined up in an atypical Spain-Lithuania where the absolute team was formed as a health precaution with the under-21 internationals after Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid. His attacking vocation made him declare, in an interview for TVE, that his dream “is to play as a midfielder.” Of course, the weather numbers are typical of this area.