Barcelona predicted lineup vs Granada - La Liga

Xavi Hernandez won all five of his appearances against Granada as a player, scoring three goals
Xavi Hernandez won all five of his appearances against Granada as a player, scoring three goals / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
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Barcelona travel to Granada's Nuevo Los Carmenes for a second successive La Liga match on the road on Saturday evening.

It took a second half turnaround - spurred on by the introduction of more than £200m worth of talent after the interval - for the mighty Blaugrana to beat third tier Linares Deportivo on Wednesday evening, a club that plays in the same division as Barcelona's B team.

Here's the XI Xavi may turn to in a bid to earn the club a third consecutive victory for the first time all season.


Barcelona predicted lineup vs Granada - La Liga

1. Goalkeeper & defenders

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK) - A stunning, last gasp reflex stop secured Barcelona all three points in their last La Liga outing against Mallorca, a save that has already been cast as the turning point in the season for team and player.

Oscar Mingueza (RB) - Dani Alves made his first appearance for Barcelona in five and a half years in midweek but, despite the lack of natural right backs, Xavi may shoehorn Mingueza into that role again rather than overworking the returning 38-year-old.

Gerard Pique (CB) - Unless Barcelona embark upon an unheard of turnaround, the club's president in waiting will go three seasons without a league title for the first time in his 17-year career.

Eric Garcia (CB) - One of the regulars in a porous backline may not be the most egregious offender of the team's defensive inadequacies, but has hardly covered himself in glory during a tumultuous debut campaign.

Jordi Alba (LB) - No defender with more than 1,000 La Liga minutes this season creates more dangerous chances from open play than Barcelona's leading assist-maker this term (per Opta).

2. Midfielders

Nico Gonzalez
Nico Gonzalez has been a regular during the early months of Xavi's tenure at Barcelona / Marco Canoniero/GettyImages

Nico Gonzalez (CM) - One of only three players to feature in every match since Xavi's arrival, the doubtful injury status of Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo may leave Nico as the only perennial presence under the new coach.

Sergio Busquets (CM) - Barcelona's captain missed his first league game of the season against Mallorca last weekend, a tally of absences that only injury or suspension will add to despite his waning physicality.

Riqui Puig (CM) - The absence of his junior teammates Gavi and Pedri - who have proven far more natural fits than the 22-year-old - may well have provided Puig with the chance of a third consecutive start for the club he joined as a teenager.

3. Forwards

Ilias Akhomach (RW) - The B team forward slipped behind fellow youngster Abde Ezzalzouli in the first team pecking order after starting Xavi's first match as manager, but may be granted a way back into the fold following a positive test for his teammate.

Ferran Jutgla (ST) - The joint-top scorer during Xavi's brief tenure as Barcelona manager has netted in half of his career starts for the senior team.

Ousmane Dembele (LW) - Rated higher than Kylian Mbappe by the club's president Joan Laporta - though his judgement is worthy of questioning after he declared Barcelona as 'leaders' in the transfer market following the signing of Ferran Torres, a player they can't register because of their crippling finances.

You can read 90min's Granada vs Barcelona preview here.