Koundé’s new reality: third straight game without playing

Koundé is going through a different phase than in previous seasons at Barcelona. As Mundo Deportivo reports, the right-back has now reached his third straight game without playing, following the team’s latest LaLiga win in Seville.

From regular starter to rotation

The article traces the change back to the start of the campaign. In the first two matches against Elche and Athletic, Koundé appeared for just ten minutes in each one. He then started against Rayo, came on in the fourth game due to Eric’s injury, and returned to the starting XI vs. Feyenoord—only to be substituted about half an hour before the end.

Three matches, no minutes

After that Champions League match, Koundé has been left out for three straight fixtures. Mundo Deportivo specifies that he did not play against Levante, Racing, or Sevilla—his former club. Even though Hansi Flick mentioned he could also be used as a centre-back, the same source says he has been deployed only as a right-back so far.

Barcelona now turns the page ahead of today’s game against Mallorca at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The big question is whether Flick gives Koundé minutes again, and how this situation fits the rotation and the competition for his position.