WELCOME TO THE ESTADIO PEDRO ESCARTÍN! The tiny home of Spanish Third Division's CD Guadalajara in the Castilla-La Mancha region near Madrid is the site of a Copa del Rey Round of 32 between the hosts and Barcelona, who begin their defense of the Spanish Cup title in a game they'll be favorites to win and secure a spot in the Last 16 next month. This should be fun, and you're welcome to join us to follow and comment all the action. Vamos!
Tommy Marques has quietly become a familiar figure around Barcelona's first-team environment under Hansi Flick. The 19-year-old midfielder has been a constant presence in training sessions in recent weeks, regularly working alongside established senior players. Yet despite that growing exposure, his official first-team debut has so far remained out of reach. As Barcelona prepare to begin their Copa del Rey campaign against CD Guadalajara, there is a growing sense that the competition may once again serve as the perfect platform for youth integration.
According to information from Catalunya Radio, relayed by SPORT, the uncertainty around the captain prompted several senior players to take a proactive step inside the dressing room. Rather than allowing doubt to linger, a group of players approached Hansi Flick to express their concern and, more importantly, their willingness to help the team cope with Araujo's absence. The discussion reportedly took place in a collective huddle, with multiple players contributing and offering solutions.
According to Sport, the injury Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic picked up recently has made Barcelona cross his name off their list of potential long-term replacements for Robert Lewandowski. The 25-year-old left the pitch with an adductor problem just 31 minutes into Juve's clash with Cagliari at the end of November and is expected to miss several months of action. Vlahovic is in the final year of contract with Juventus, and that,
Earlier in the summer, Dusan Vlahovic had emerged as one of the potential attacking targets for Barcelona. The Catalans, after all, were looking for someone who could serve as a long-term replacement for the ageing Robert Lewandowski. Vlahovic, to that end, had emerged as the ideal candidate due to his style of play and what he can offer inside the box. Barcelona no longer interested in Vlahovic
