COPA DEL REY
Barcelona confirmed starting line up against Unionistas in the Copa del Rey round of 16
The Catalan side come into the game under pressure to perform after their heavy Super Cup final loss.
FC Barcelona can’t afford to get jelly legs against Unionistas in the Copa del Rey. “It’ll be the game of their lives”, said Xavi ahead of the tie - perhaps, if it goes badly for the blaugrana, it could be the one to end his at the club.
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The Catalans will have go up against the Salamanca side as they continue to nurse various limbs and injuries; still hobbling around in casts and crutches, their ferocious demolition at the hands of Real Madrid in last Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final hurt badly.
Xavi kept the faith after the game but one can’t help but feel that another wobble of his tightrope and he may have to begin to actually look down at the cavern that awaits him.
Questions surround Barcelona’s starting side
How should Barcelona have lined up in this tricky tie? Should Xavi risk playing his first team against a third division side or should he have gone the other way and played the kids? A draw or a loss could be another blow for the side, so how big of a gamble can the manager afford to take?
Marc Guiu to start over Vitor Roque against Unionistas
The Brazilian striker is yet to start for Barcelona, despite already having a made couple of appearances off the bench in which he has looked lively and had chances to score. The youngster has arrived in Spain with an arguably unnecessary pressure on his shoulders, but he’s managed to impact games without getting on the scoresheet and has provided something different to Robert Lewandowski, who has looked like he’s been wearing the wrong boot size all season.
Having said all that, Xavi went for Barça youngster, Marc Guiu for the Copa del Rey game. Guiu has impressed despite having limited minutes for the first team, and scored the winner against Athletic Club earlier in the season.
FC Barcelona:
Barcelona confirmed starting XI against Unionistas:
Barcelona confirmed XI [4-3-3]:
GK: Iñaki Peña
DEF: Sergi Roberto - Koundé - Christensen - Balde
MID: De Jong - Oriol Romeu - Fermín
ATT: Ferran - Marc Guiu - João Félix
Xavi, despite the lower league status of the opposition, did not decide to vote for the youth and instead opted for a strong side that would not look out of place against a LaLiga opponent.
Barcelona play Unionistas in the Copa del Rey round of 16 for a place in the quarter-finals. Kick-off in Salamanca is scheduled for 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT. You can follow the game with our live text coverage on AS USA.