FC Barcelona face Granada in their upcoming La Liga tie, and the Catalans would be looking to maintain their winning run and take advantage of the match between Girona and Real Madrid this week to get nearer to the summit of the league table.
As SPORT has noted, there is some uncertainty about the team that Xavi will field in this match. The biggest question mark on the team selection would be regarding Andreas Christensen, whom Xavi played as a midfielder against Alaves, and Barcelona fans will be waiting to see whether the head coach repeats this formula in the upcoming match.
Playing Christensen in this position offers some significant benefits to Barcelona. For instance, with the Dane taking most of the defensive responsibilities in the midfield, De Jong, Pedri, and Gundogan can all play a more offensive game, and the latter two will especially have an easier time going forward.
Furthermore, having Christensen in the midfield also allows Xavi to keep Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi in the rotation for the defensive spots. Both these players are very good at playing the ball out from the back and are in contention for a start against Granada. Martinez can get into the starting spot after having recovered and gotten some minutes in the last match.
Xavi can also follow Pep Guardiola’s setup of last season to have four center-backs in the team, with Christensen, Kounde, Araujo, and Cubarsi all playing, the latter three in a 3-man backline, and the Dane in the midfield. However, keeping in view Kounde’s high number of minutes on the pitch, the Frenchman can be rested by the Barcelona head coach for this game.
This defensive setup will also get a huge help as Marc Andre Ter Stegen will also return to the field after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with his back issue. De Jong, Pedri, and Gundogan will join Christensen in the midfield, while Lewandowski and Yamal will form a two-man attack.
