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Barcelona have announced their starting lineup to face Unionistas in the Copa del Rey on January 18 and fans are unhappy to see Victor Roque on the bench.
Just days after their crushing 4-1 Spanish Supercup final loss to arch-rivals Real Madrid, the Catalans are hoping to avoid back-to-back cup defeats. They will take on Unionistas away in the Round of 16 of the competition.
Head coach Xavi has named a strong XI, featuring several first-team stars such as Joao Felix, Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde, and Frenkie de Jong. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri are on the bench.
However, the fans weren't impressed to see Roque among the substitutes. The 18-year-old teenager arrived from Brazil's Athletico Paranaense last month. He made his official debut for the side earlier this month after coming off the bench against Las Palmas in La Liga.
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Perhaps in games like these, young players like him would expect to start, but Roque failed to make the cut in their starting lineup again. Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their dissatisfaction with Xavi's decision.
One user asked "what is wrong" with the Barcelona manager. Another was puzzled as to why Xavi asked Joan Laporta to bring Roque to the side in January, tweeting:
"why did Xavi even ask Laporta to bring him early in January when hes not even playing ?"
Here are some of the best reactions:
Barcelona eyeing the Copa del Rey as La Liga hopes fade
Barcelona's defense of their La Liga title hasn't gone according to plan this season. With 41 points from 19 games, the Catalans are seven points off Real Madrid, and eight behind leaders Girona, with a game in hand.
With each passing week, the title race seems more like a two-horse race between Girona and Real Madrid. Hence, the Copa del Rey is now Barcelona's best shot at a trophy this season. Xavi's side has already lost the Spanish Supercup, whereas the Blaugrana are outsiders in the race for the UEFA Champions League. They're up against Napoli in the Round of 16.
Even the cup won't be that easy, though, with Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, and Girona all still in the mix. One of Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid will be in the quarter-finals too.
This could be Xavi's real test as their manager.
