Barcelona star punished yet again and replaced in the starting eleven against Rayo Vallecano – Report | OneFootball

The much-anticipated clash between FC Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano is set to start soon. Given just how crucial and vital this game is, it is only natural for Hansi Flick to rely on his best players. Ultimately, the goal for Barcelona is to take away all three points and get back to the top of the La Liga table.

Moreover, with the game taking place at the Montjuic Stadium, there is the added pressure of the home supporters backing the team but also potentially becoming more critical if they let them down. For that reason, it is to be expected that Barcelona would field a strong eleven heading into this match.

Fortunately, that is exactly what the reality of things is, but there is a catch. While the official starting eleven is definitely a strong one, there is one position in particular where Hansi Flick’s first-choice player is not starting for Barcelona in this game.

Over at the right-back position, it is 18-year-old Spanish right-back Hector Fort who is starting for La Blaugrana in this crucial game. Moreover, the person who has been benched to make way for him is none other than French defender Jules Kounde.

The reason behind this big change, as per Helena Condis, is that the player was late to arrive at the team’s technical talk. Thus, as a form of punishment, the Frenchman is set to start this game on the bench while Fort takes his place as the team’s starting right-back in this game.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Kounde has had to endure a punishment from Flick this season. An extremely particular individual, the German coach demands punctuality and consistency from his players in every aspect, whether it be on the pitch or away from it.

Kounde, rather unfortunately, seems to struggle with getting to technical talks on time, and it has cost him previously as well. Fortunately, Fort is a solid alternative as well and this could be a blessing in disguise for him to showcase what he has to offer as well.