After a wait of two years, FC Barcelona return to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League this Wednesday. The Catalans are set to face the Italian champions Napoli in their Round of 16 tie, and the first leg of this crucial match will be held in Italy.
FC Barcelona were able to win their last league match against Celta Vigo, but the team’s performance left a lot to be desired in that match. But one of the most encouraging points to be taken away from that game was the good performance of Robert Lewandowski, who scored a brace, and Xavi will be hoping the Pole can repeat that performance in Italy too.
The Catalans have announced the 23-man squad that will travel to Naples for this match, and in a boost for Xavi, the Portuguese forward Joao Felix has also been named in this list. The captain Sergi Roberto has also been added in this squad.
However, Ferran Torres and Marcos Alonso are still out of action, along with the long-term absences of Alejandro Balde and Pablo Gavi. The youngsters called up for this match include the defenders Pau Cubarsi and Hector Fort; the midfielder Marc Casado; the forward Marc Guiu; and the goalkeeper Ander Astralaga.
The full squad for this game is as follows:
Official Barcelona Squad List:
Goalkeepers:
- 1: Marc Andre Ter Stegen
- 2: Inaki Pena Sotorres
- 3: Ander Astralaga
Defenders:
- 1: Jules Kounde
- 2: Ronald Araujo
- 3: Andreas Christensen
- 4: Joao Cancelo
- 5: Inigo Martinez
- 6: Pau Cubarsi
- 7: Hector Fort
Midfielders:
- 1: Pedri
- 2: Frenkie de Jong
- 3: Ilkay Gundogan
- 4: Fermin Lopez
- 5: Sergi Roberto
- 6: Oriol Romeu
- 7: Marc Casado
Forwards:
- 1: Robert Lewandowski
- 2: Lamine Yamal
- 3: Raphinha
- 4: Joao Felix
- 5: Vitor Roque
- 6: Marc Guiu
Rested:
- None
Injured:
- 1: Gavi
- 2: Alejandro Balde
- 3: Ferran Torres
- 4: Marcos Alonso
