Xavi Hernandez shifted from a 4-3-3 to 3-4-1-2 formation for his side’s 1-0 win at Real Sociedad yesterday. FC Barcelona got a very late goal, i.e. near the death in added time, from defender Ronald Araujo, to get the league win on the road. We are predicting that Xavi stays with the formation switch at Shakhtar Donetsk when Barcelona shift gears from the La Liga to the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
We are guessing Araujo will keep his place in the squad too.
UCL Group Stage Matchday 4 of 6 FYIs
FC Barcelona at Shakhtar Donetsk
Group H Kickoff: Tues Nov 7, 5:45pm Volksparkstadion
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
FC Barcelona Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Group Form, Standing: FC Barcelona 1st, 9 pts, WWW Shakhtar Donetsk 3rd, 3 pts, LWL
Despite the devastatingly disappointing result in El Clasico, Hernandez has to be pleased with the overall body of work that his squad has put in thus far, this season. The Real Madrid result is their only loss thus far, and they only have three draws to go along with it. It adds up to nine points dropped from a possible 36. Not ideal, but not bad.
So here is the predicted 3-4-1-2 lineup that we are going with for the Tuesday night continental clash in the Ukraine. Enjoy!
FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction at Shakhtar Donetsk (UEFA Champions League)
Marc Ter Stegen; Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo; Christian Balde, Ilkay Gundogan, Gavi, Raphinha; Ferran Torres; Lamie Yamal, Robert Lewandowski
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram