“I can’t believe my eyes”, “That’s why we winning” – Barcelona fans thrilled as Xavi names 25-year-old in starting line-up against Elche

A section of Barcelona fans have taken to social media to express their delight as Franck Kessie is named in the Catalans' starting XI to face Elche.

Barcelona are set to play their sixth La Liga match of the 2022-23 season today (September 17). They will be looking to build on their four-game winning run in the league when they host Elche at Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana, though, go into the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. They will thus be keen to bounce back with a win today.

With less than an hour to go until kick-off, Xavi has named his starting XI for the match. The Spanish tactician has made five changes to the team that started against Julian Nagelsmann's side during the week.

Among the players that have come into the starting XI today is Kessie, who clocked 10 minutes against Bayern. The Ivory Coast international has replaced Sergio Busquets in the lineup.

While Kessie will be looking to claim his stake in Barcelona's regular starting XI today, fans are delighted to see him finally start a match in La Liga. Some Blaugrana supporters have taken to Twitter to express their excitement.

One Barcelona supporter wrote:

"Kessie, please give us a game to let Xavi depend on you every game."

Another excited fan wrote:

"Kessie starts and that's why we are winning."

It now remains to be seen if the 25-year-old can prove his fans right and help the Catalans to a victory over Elche today. A win against Francisco's side would see the hosts go atop the La Liga table.

Real Madrid, though, will reclaim their place as table-toppers if they beat Atletico Madrid on Sunday (September 18).

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How has Franck Kessie fared for Barcelona so far?

Franck Kessie is among the seven players Barcelona signed during the recently-concluded transfer window. The Catalans acquired his services from Italian giants AC Milan on a free transfer.

The midfielder has since made five appearances across all competitions for the Camp Nou outfit. However, his only start for the club came in their 5-1 win against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Kessie marked his full debut for the La Liga giants by finding the back of the net. He will now be looking to mark his first league start for the club by helping them beat Elche and go atop the table.