Xavi ready to bench Barcelona defender and switch formation for Napoli clash in Champions League - Reports
Barcelona manager Xavi is prepared to make a tactical change to his squad for their upcoming UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash against Napoli, according to AS. The Spanish tactician also wishes to replace 17-year-old academy centre-back Pau Cubarsi with summer addition Inigo Martinez against the Italian outfit.
Xavi announced his decision to leave Barcelona in January, and that decision has coincided with an upturn in the form of the side, as they have picked up ten points from a possible 12 since. The Spanish champions remain eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid after their late win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.
La Blaugrana are aware of the possibility of ending the season without silverware, especially following their Copa del Rey exit at the hands of Athletic Club in January. The club intend to take UCL seriously and will look to capitalize on the poor form of the Italian champions.
Xavi, as per the aforementioned report, has chosen to make some tactical switches, including reverting to a four-man midfield to enable his side to enjoy greater control of the game. He is expected to line up with the quartet of Andreas Christensen, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.
The former Al-Sadd manager has also decided to rely on the experience and reliability of former Athletic Club man Inigo Martinez for the clash. This means that Pau Cubarsi will start on the bench for the game, having started five of their last six league matches.
Xavi also intends to play the attacking duo of Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski.
Napoli set for managerial switch ahead of Barcelona clash
Napoli are considering sacking present manager Walter Mazzarri ahead of their Champions League match against Barcelona after the side's dismal run of form, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The club are said to be considering hiring Slovakia manager Francesco Calzona as their interim boss until the end of the season, with club legend Marek Hamsik touted as his assistant.
The Italian champions have won just three of their last 11 matches across all competitions and were dumped out of the Coppa Italia after a 4-0 thrashing to Frosinone in December. They currently languish in ninth place in the Italian top flight, nine points outside of the top four and 27 points behind leaders Inter Milan.
The Partenopei already underwent a managerial change once this season, when Mazzarri replaced Rudi Garcia, but the change has not had the desired effect. A second change this season is in the offing, and we could see Calzona in the dugout against Barcelona, as per Romano.