Coutinho to make first Barcelona start

MADRID: Philippe Coutinho will make his first Barcelona start since his 160-million-euro ($194 million) move from Liverpool against Alaves at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

Brazilian Coutinho made his debut on Thursday when he played the final 22 minutes in his new side's 2-0 win over local rivals Espanyol, which saw Barca overcome a one-goal first-leg deficit to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

The 25-year-old became the second most expensive footballer in history, behind Paris Saint-Germain attacker and compatriot Neymar, when he moved to Catalonia earlier in the month.