Barcelona superstar asked Xavi to rest him for Mallorca clash

Barcelona saw their winning streak come to an end this past Tuesday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by RCD Mallorca away at Son Moix.

It was a game that saw the manager make a host of rotations as Xavi rung in the changes keeping in mind the tight fixture schedule.

There were alterations in attack and defence, with one of the most notable ones being the benching of Robert Lewandowski in favour of Ferran Torres.

Lewandowski asked to be rested vs Mallorca

Lewandowski was coming into the game against Mallorca after scoring a brace against Celta Vigo to help Barcelona seal a comeback 3-2 win.

But he was given a breather by Xavi Hernandez on Tuesday and now Mundo Deportivo is reporting that the 35-year-old asked to be rested for the game.

As per the report, Xavi had thought of resting Lewandowski for the game against Celta Vigo itself, but the striker insisted on playing against the Galician outfit.

After having scored two key goals in that game, the former Bayern Munich superstar spoke to Xavi and asked to be rested against Mallorca, keeping in mind the two crucial matches against Porto and Sevilla coming up.

Xavi also agreed on the idea as he did not want his ace goalscorer to suffer from fatigue or pick up any muscle issue or injury.

Quiet night for Ferran

With Lewandowski being given a rest, Ferran Torres started as the No. 9 for Barcelona against Mallorca but had a quiet night in front of goal.

The 23-year-old had been in good nick so far this season but did not make the most of his chance on Tuesday night and eventually made way for Lewandowski in the 58th minute.

With matches against Sevilla and Porto coming up in quick succession over the next few days, it is pretty much locked in that Lewandowski will be the man leading the line for the Catalan giants.

Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-superstar-asked-xavi-to-bench-him-for-mallorca-clash/

Author : Michel Durant

Publish date : 2023-09-28 07:31:07

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