Barcelona star handed boost to be named in line-up against Bayern Munich as Lewandowski makes special request to Xavi over team selection: Reports

Frenkie de Jong could start for Barcelona against Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week (September 13) at the request of Robert Lewandowski.

The Polish superstar spent eight seasons at the Bundesliga giants before his summer move to Barca. Hence, he may know a thing or two about how the Bavarians will line up.

According to El Nacional, Lewandowski has advised Xavi to sacrifice an attacker to play an extra midfielder, meaning the Barca manager may have to ditch his favored 4-3-3 system. That tactical switch may lead to the Blaugrana keeping possession, which would force Bayern to chase the ball more.

The clash at the Allianz Arena will mark the first time Lewandowski has played against his former team since his summer exit and can expect a frosty reception from the crowd. The striker made no secret of the fact that he was desperate to leave the German giants and is aware that Bayern are not used to chasing the ball.

If Xavi does listen to the striker, Raphinha is likely to be left out of the clash, with De Jong coming in to replace him. The Dutch midfielder was heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer and has only started half of the club's games this season.

The likes of Gavi and Pedri are currently ahead of the Netherlands international in the pecking order. However, the clash in Munich could be a big opportunity for him to establish himself as a first-team regular.

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Bayern Munich president hopes Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski is given a good reception

Lewandowski has enjoyed an incredible start to life at Barcelona, scoring nine goals in six appearances.

Having won eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy at Bayern and scored 344 goals in 375 appearances, Lewandowski's summer exit was a massive blow for the club. Bayern have not been at their dominating best in the league as they find themselves in third spot.

However, club president Herbert Hainer has urged fans to welcome Lewandowski back. He told Sport:

“I hope, and that is my great wish, that people are nice to Robert and that he has a friendly welcome, because he played eight years with us, scored a lot of goals and decided a lot of games, and we won all the big titles.

“And in the end, everyone got what they wanted: Robert could go to Barcelona, Barcelona are happy to have Lewandowski and we have money to invest in our future. Everyone should feel comfortable and I hope our fans will welcome him.”