Being the favorites in the match against Royal Antwerp tonight, it is not yet certain what team Xavi will go into this match with. A lot depends on the formation that Xavi will choose for this match.
The Barcelona head coach can either go with a four-man midfield, as he has preferred to do since last season, or play with a three-man forward line.
Gundogan to start
As SPORT has reported, one of the players who is very likely to feature in this match is the German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Xavi did not want to risk him in the match against Real Betis after he suffered a blow to his back in the international break. However, the German was able to come into the Betis match in the second half.
Now, he is likely to feature in tonight’s match as FC Barcelona look to overturn their failures in the last few editions of the Champions League, and having one of the reigning champions in the team would definitely help in this regard.
Two options for Xavi
However, Gundogan’s presence will naturally lead to someone’s expulsion from the team. If Xavi keeps a four-man midfield, no one would have to be sacrificed, as Romeu can start in the pivot, and Frenkie and Gavi can join Gundogan as other players in the midfield.
Another option for Xavi would be to play a three-man forward line to keep Joao Felix playing, who is currently in good form and needs more playing time to adapt fully to Xavi’s system. If such an alternative is chosen, one of Romeu, De Jong, or Gavi will have to start the match on the bench.
Lewandowski also prefers a three-man forward line, as he gets more service in such a setup and does not have to drop deep to help with build-up. Raphinha is currently the favorite to start on the right wing in such a setup, but Yamal and Torres also have strong cases for a start.
