As the heat increases on Xavi, the best thing the Barcelona boss can do is win. Claiming a trophy would be the best thing for him, in terms of trying to cool his seat in Catalonia. If Barcelona can get past Athletic Club tomorrow night, they’ll find themselves in the Copa Del Rey semifinals.
In other words, silverware could soon be in striking distance. To get there however, they’ll need to beat an old friend.
Copa Del Rey Quarterfinals FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 24, 8:30pm, San Mames, Bilbao, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
European football book authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
That’s right- Ernesto Valverde, the former Catalan Club manager, is the current boss of Bilbao. So Wednesday could bring some interesting moments when the reunion occurs. No doubt this is one of the top storylines heading into the midweek cup clash.
Let’s take a look at how Xavi might fill in the team sheet come Wednesday night.
FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction at Athletic Club (Copa Del Rey Quarterfinals)
Inaki Pena; Hector Fort, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde; Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix
Prediction: FC Barcelona 2, Athletic Club 1
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, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.