Barcelona are chasing second place in La Liga after a minor upturn in form ahead of their next match at home against Getafe.
Xavi’s side have won three and drawn one of their last four games in the league and tied 1-1 with Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night. It’s hardly form to shout too loudly about given their chaotic season so far, but it is an improvement on what they were serving up before.
On the injury front, Barca are still without a recognised left-back as Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso are out, while fellow Spain internationals Gavi and Ferran Torres are also absent.
Despite the absences, Xavi will likely make a couple of changes after the performance in Naples. However, Getafe sit tenth in La Liga and won’t be easy to beat.
With that in mind, here’s the Barca team Xavi could pick against Getafe.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen – Came in for some criticism after Victor Osimhen’s goal in midweek, given he failed to make much of an attempt to save it. Nonetheless, his return from injury does make Barca a better team.
RB: Jules Kounde – It’s not ideal for Kounde to be spending so much of the season at right-back and Xavi would prefer to have Joao Cancelo there. There are now rumours of a move to Chelsea for the Frenchman.
CB: Ronald Araujo – Has now played over 100 games for Barca which is always a great achievement. Araujo was one of their best players against Napoli and deserved a clean sheet for his efforts.
CB: Andreas Christensen – The Dane has featured in midfield recently but it’s not a good fit. Inigo Martinez looked weak on Wednesday and should be replaced here by Christensen.
LB: Joao Cancelo – With the aforementioned injuries to Balde and Alonso, Cancelo will fill in at left-back again. He is adept on both flanks and Xavi will be feeling very grateful for the Portuguese winger at this point. Was a constant threat against Napoli.
CM: Pedri – Played a more attacking role against the Serie A champions but should drop back to midfield here with Barca likely to have more of the ball. He created two chances in Italy and should be similarly influential against Getafe.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan – Despite having an 89% pass accuracy in midweek, Gundogan’s occasional passiveness in midfield resulted in Osimhen’s goal and a yellow card for Christensen. Xavi will want him to focus up for this tough match.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – Rafael van der Vaart claimed De Jong took ‘too long to pass the ball forward’ in midweek, which isn’t a criticism usually levelled at the Dutchman. Regardless, he will be in the thick of the action at Montjuic.
RW: Lamine Yamal – One of the most exciting players in Europe, Yamal was the primary threat to Napoli for much of the game and is nailing this position down in the absence of Torres. He became the youngest outfield player to start a Champions League knockout fixture, yet another record for the 16-year-old.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – The Pole could be leaving Barca at the end of the season but showed he still has that killer instinct against Napoli, taking his record to 47 goals in his last 43 Champions League games.
LW: Raphinha – Having made a few substitute appearances recently after recovering from an injury, Raphinha could start here and allow Xavi to name an XI where most players are in their right positions.
