Barcelona have the herculean task of overcoming Napoli in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tomorrow as they prepare to host the Italian giants at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium.
After drawing the first leg with a 1-1 score, a place in the quarterfinals will be at stake for the Catalan giants, who have not made it past the Round of 16 ties since 2020.
However, Xavi will fatefully have his hands tied behind his back, with an injury crisis sweeping through his ranks.
As such, his options will be limited, and he may turn towards players who may not have initially been his first-choice options.
Felix could be Xavi’s bet tomorrow
Indeed, as per SPORT Joao Felix could be Xavi’s bet for tomorrow against Napoli as he aims to make up for the absences in the squad.
The Portuguese is 100% ready and could be entrusted to take up the left-wing position against Napoli, forming a front three with Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
Felix started the most recent encounter against Mallorca and will be looking to build some consistency with a consecutive start.
The exclusions of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri have deprived Barcelona of a creative presence in the team, which makes a strong case for Felix to feature and integrate dominance centrally.
With his tendencies to invert, release runners, and play between the lines, he could soften the blow of injuries Barcelona are dealing with in midfield.
Despite a topsy-turvy campaign thus far, Felix has been hard to contain when firing on all cylinders.
The 24-year-old has three goals and an assist in the Champions League this season, and an opportunity to increase that total could be presented tomorrow. Every time he has started in the Champions League, Barça have ended up winning the game.
What are the alternatives?
If Xavi does not go with Joao Felix, Raphinha could be an option to play on the left while Ferran Torres, if fit, could also be a viable choice, albeit unlikely at this point.
The other move would be for Xavi to field four central midfielders with Fermin Lopez acting as a false-winger while Ilkay Gundogan, Sergi Roberto, and Andreas Christensen start in the three positions in the centre.
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