FC Barcelona lost arguably their most effective forward in the last summer transfer window as Ousmane Dembele left the Catalans to join PSG. Similarly, Ansu Fati also went to play in the Premier League on a loan, while Ez Abde also joined Real Betis.
Still, Xavi has a number of forwards at his disposal, all fighting for a single spot in the starting lineup. Lewandowski is the clear center-forward to start for Xavi, but the other attacking spot in the system is being contested by Raphinha, Yamal, and Ferran Torres.
Selection headache for Xavi
As SPORT reports, Xavi is still undecided on whom of these three to start in the upcoming game against Betis. With Dembele’s departure, Raphinha was selected to be the starter for the team. However, his expulsion in the first match of the season did not help him much.
Now, he is returning after some good performances for Brazil and will be looking to get his starting spot back, but his tiredness and fatigue go against him.
Yamal and Torres making their claims
Raphinha’s expulsion in the first match allowed Xavi to try Yamal in the lineup, and this gamble has paid off well for the Barcelona head coach. The youngster has performed well in the last three games, all of which he has started, and has continued his good form with Spain as well. Xavi can start Yamal in the match against Betis and then rest him during the midweek Champions League game.
To make matters further complicated for Xavi, Ferran Torres is also making a strong claim for a starting spot in the team. He has played in three games for Barcelona this season and already scored two goals in the 63 minutes that he has been afforded. He scored another double with Spain in this international break and thus further extended his good run of form.
Lastly, there is also a slight possibility that Xavi will change his system and go with three forwards in this game. This would somewhat dilute the cutthroat competition for forward spots in the team and would also allow Joao Felix to get some minutes, but the Portuguese international is unlikely to start the game.
