90min
·21 September 2023
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·21 September 2023
Xavi may not have enjoyed a more convincing few days as Barcelona boss as he did with his side's 5-0 thrashings of Real Betis and Royal Antwerp.
La Blaugrana had endured a rather cagey opening to their La Liga title defence but the arrivals of Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix have added another dimension to the champions.
Barcelona have dazzled in their two most recent outings, with Rafa Benitez's Celta Vigo the next outfit to feel their wrath. Barca host Benitez's side on Saturday evening as they attempt to secure their fifth La Liga win on the bounce.
Here's the starting XI Xavi could pick for Barca's upcoming game.
Joao Felix has gotten off to a electric start at Barcelona / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - Barcelona's immovable force is a shoo-in to retain his place after keeping back-to-back clean sheets.
RB: Joao Cancelo - He's already loving life in Catalonia and recently admitted that while Manchester City might be the best team in the world, he simply couldn't turn Barcelona down.
CB: Jules Kounde - Cancelo's arrival would've filled Kounde with joy as it means he can finally move back into a central position. The Frenchman had previously been deployed as a makeshift right-back.
CB: Andreas Christensen - Xavi could bring in Inigo Martinez for his first Barcelona start, but Christensen continues to operate at a high level at the heart of La Blaugrana's defence.
DM: Oriol Romeu - One of a couple of changes Xavi could make to Tuesday night's team. Romeu has been a steady influence thus far and may be brought back in to aid Barca's ability against the counter.
CM: Frenkie de Jong - The Dutchman is in majestic form and had been used in a myriad of midfield roles. With Romeu coming back in, De Jong could operate higher up the pitch and seek to influence proceedings in the final third.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan - It's a toss-up between Gavi and Gundo, with Xavi opting for the latter.
RW: Lamine Yamal - A certain new arrival has stolen Yamal's thunder over the past week, but the youngster could get a chance to re-assert himself as Barcelona's biggest talking point by earning a start and subsequently starring on Saturday evening.
ST: Robert Lewandowski -