Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez must have been pleased his side escaped Porto with three points from their first Champions League away game of the season. Yet counting the cost, he may well have preferred a point and a healthy team.
Following the game, Lewandowski was ruled out for 3-5 weeks with an ankle sprain that looks likely to keep him sidelined for El Clasico, one of up to seven matches Lewandowski could be absent for.
Ferran Torres replaced Lewandowski and wasted no time in slotting home Barcelona’s winner in Portugal, and many expect ‘the shark’ to be a straight swap for the Polish hitman in the upcoming games.
There is a chance that Xavi Hernandez alters Barcelona’s attacking structure say Sport though, and is considering using Joao Felix as a false nine through the middle instead. They note that Torres will likely start against Granada this weekend, but for the following clashes Felix may be moved inside.
Both are different profiles, but Torres provides a more conventional option through the middle that will move in behind the defence and look to meet the final pass. Meanwhile Felix does have a goalscoring streak within him, but is far more creative.
Using him through the middle would mean populating the midfield more, something Xavi has been a fan of, and potentially trying to maintain possession more effectively. The likelihood is, given injuries, that Torres would be starting in the front three with Felix anyway, so Xavi would probably get a similar style with both, but it will depend on what areas of the pitch he wants to attack. Equally Torres is much more defensively capable than Felix, and so having him out wide would mean tracking the opposition full-back more closely.
