El Clasico: Xavi or Rakitic?

[Ursegor]

Simple question: Who should start?

 

[Flavia]

Xavi. I think he is in better form right now. And Busi might not play, so having Xavi to help Masch control the midfield is a must. Depending on the scoreline, Rakitic can come on in the 2nd half.

 

[serghei]

Xavi, without a doubt.

 

[Babylonian]

Rakitic cuz somebody needs to cover Alves's ass..

 

[Antimadridista1]

Ivan

 

[messi2140]

Rakitic: "I will play where Luis Enrique tells me to play, like I did with CRO. The team comes first. I even played at right back one day."

Couldn't be worse than alves.

 

[Kohe321]

Xavi without a doubt, we need the control and dictation of tempo that he brings against RM. We're going to need all the control we can get to weather the early storm that RM will bring in the first half with their pacy players. Also, he has been rested and should feel good to start, where Rakitic just played yesterday and ran a lot. Add to that his experience in el clasicos with Barcelona so nerves shouldn't be as big of an issue for him as it could be for Raki.

It's clear to me: Xavi starts with Iniesta and either Masch or Busq in midfield.

 

[Frodo_FCB]

I would use Xavi for this game, but im like 50/50 for this choice.
Assuming that Busquets wont play, i think that we need some control in the midfield and Xavi can provide this.
If Lucho starts the game with Busquets though, Rakitic should be the starter, so that we have some defensive cover.

So for me its Mascherano-Xavi or Busquets-Rakitic

 

[spark]

Sport think these are two possibilities

 

[Antimadridista1]

Sport think these are two possibilities

Alba and Mathieu will both start, and the latter as CB position.

 

[Ursegor]

Sport think these are two possibilities

B doesn't make sense. It negates the entire purpose of the Messi-Neymar combo. Don't think Lucho will pull a Tata now. If he does he is dead to me.

 

[zanela]

I refuse to vote on a pvt poll.

 

[zealot]

OMG I'm the first one who voted for benching the Don.

 

[DonAK]

Sport think these are two possibilities

I like Option A.

 

[Sumlit]

I can do B better than them. If those are the players to play, surely something like....:

------------Bravo-------------
Alves-Pique-Masche-Mathieu
----Xavi--Busqets--Raki-----
------Messi-----Iniesta------
-----------Neymar-----------

...is better than the suggested sport B formation.

Or even..:

------------Bravo-------------
Alves-Pique-Masche-Mathieu
----------Xavi--Busqets------
---Rakitic------------Iniesta------
-------------Messi-------------
-----------Neymar-----------