Barcelona face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, and Xavi Hernandez will be forced to make adjustments due to the suspensions of Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen. Beyond that, Xavi is expected to make few adjustments.
Pedri seems keen to update Roberto, and Sport say that after two promising 30-minute cameos, he is fit to start against PSG. His plan is to bring Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan closer together at the base of midfield. with Pedri further back. This way, your Y-runs will be less demanding and you will have more freedom with the ball. Most likely, Fermin Lopez will be your upgrade once your legs get tired.
In front of him, Joao Felix has been performing well these past few weeks, but one key thing will keep him on the bench: Achraf Hakimi’s comeback. The Moroccan right-back is suspended for the first leg and is expected to return on Tuesday night. The same source believes Xavi will rely on Raphinha’s defensive paint pace on the left to stifle him.
Pedri has a lot of characteristics to start tomorrow. In fact, Xavi is coming up with a plan that will allow him to make a difference on the pitch where he can do the most damage to the Parisians. Gündogan will play close to De Jong so that Pedri has more freedom in the final tercio. @Jordigil . twitter. com/CiKHx6NXMp
– Barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 15, 2024
Meanwhile, MD highlights Hakimi’s presence as one of the 3 key adjustments Luis Enrique is willing to make. Lucas Beraldo will most likely fall to the bench, while Marquinhos will go to the center of defense. Warren Zaire-Emery will most likely update Kang-In Lee and Bradley Barcola will update an unnamed Marco Asensio in the first leg.
Three tweaks that deserve to make PSG much faster and more direct. While on paper, Pedri is an improvement for Barcelona, he will require an overhaul from Xavi. Gundogan has been at his best as an extra on the pitch, and Pedri does not have the same field position that Roberto showed in the first leg, perhaps demanding more technical possession from the Blaugrana to take advantage of Pedri’s quality.
The Paris Saint-Germain star who is likely to leave Barcelona on the bench for the second leg first appeared on Football España.
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