A true test for FC Barcelona awaits them in the Montjuic Stadium in the form of a visiting Napoli. The UEFA Champions League, alongside the other competitions, has finally reached the business end of things. This particular clash between Barcelona and Napoli, will decide who moves on to the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, they do not arrive into this game with the best of luck. Key players from La Blaugrana’s squad have been compromised, with stars like Frenkie De Jong and Pedri now sidelined for arguably Barça’s biggest game this season given the context of the campaign.
However, fortunately enough, Barcelona are not without their options to reinforce themselves. In fact, Xavi can at least field a lineup with three attackers where he can be assured that they are his best picks in any given position. According to Mundo Deportivo, however, a player who has a great chance to be among those three is Joao Felix.
While very few would argue that Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal should be considered as undeniable starters, the third spot in attack is up for grabs. For MD, that spot belongs to the Portuguese forward on loan from Atletico Madrid. The reason behind this, for them at least, is his ability to deliver in the biggest games.
It is undoubtedly clear that consistency is something the Portuguese forward lacks, and has not given joy to Barcelona on a regular basis. However, whenever the Catalans face off against tough opponents where the margins are never in anyone’s favor, Felix has a tendency to tip the scales in favor of Barcelona.
He did it against his former club Atletico Madrid with his game-winner, same against Porto in the UCL group stage. Moreover, apart from his other crucial and game-determining goals in both the Champions League and La Liga, he seems to possess an X-factor that can come to life and completely unbalance the opposition.
However, knowing what is at stake, Xavi’s final decision could prove to be critical. With Felix also in danger of possibly being yellow-carded and consequently missing a hypothetical first leg in the quarterfinals, that is also a risk worth evaluating. Ultimately, Barcelona need a win no matter what, so Xavi will have to decide what risks are worth taking.
