“This is a panic XI” - Barcelona fans furious as Xavi refuses to name 27-year-old in starting line-up vs Girona
Barcelona fans are fuming after Xavi Hernandez named his starting XI to face Girona. The two sides are set to clash in La Liga at the Montilivi later today (Saturday, May 4).
The Blaugrana have an extremely low possibility of retaining the title at this stage of the season. They are currently second with 73 points from 33 games, 14 points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Girona have had a stellar season and are third with 71 points.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen starts in goal for Barcelona. Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, and Jules Kounde make up the defense. The midfield consists of Andreas Christensen, Ilkay Gundogan, and Sergi Roberto while Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Robert Lewandowksi start up front to complete the starting XI.
Fans were unhappy with Raphinha being benched. The Brazilian winger has had a good season to date, registering nine goals and 12 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.
One fan reacted by posting:
"Why benching Raphinha? This is a panic XI."
Another fan wrote:
"One question why is Raphinha or Felix not starting?"
Some more fan reactions can be viewed below:
"4 midfielders?cool but should have been Raphinha instead of Lamine," one fan stated.
"RAPHINHA BENCHED????" one fan questioned.
"He really benched Raphinha for Roberto Tf," another fan chimed in.
"Where is rapinha?" one fan asked.
"No Raphinha??" one fan laughed.
What happened the last time Barcelona faced Girona in La Liga?
Barcelona will be playing for pride as they face Girona in their La Liga clash today. These two sides clashed in the reverse fixture earlier this season at the Spotify Camp Nou where Xavi Hernandez and Co. suffered a humiliating 4-2 loss.
Artem Dovbyk gave Girona the lead in the 12th minute but Robert Lewandowski leveled the scores seven minutes later. The away side rallied back after taking the lead via Miguel Gutierrez (40') and Valery Fernandez (80').
Ilkay Gundogan threatened to inspire an unlikely comeback with a goal in the 92nd minute but Cristhian Stuani sealed an impressive win with a goal in the 95th minute.
Girona have not lost either of their last two league games against Barcelona, winning one and drawing the other.