5 players who could thrive under Xavi at Barcelona
New Barcelona head coach Xavi was in the dugout for the first time in the derby against cross-town rivals Espanyol. Despite a nervy end to the game, the Catalan giants played some scintillating football and ended up recording a 1-0 victory.
The whole atmosphere in the buildup to the game against Espanyol was something vastly different from what we’ve seen so far this season. Despite being 10 points behind Real Madrid, Barcelona's supporters were frenzied before the game and brought a lot of character with them to the Camp Nou.
This is one of the effects Xavi has had on the club – revitalizing the mindset of the fans.
Xavi’s Barcelona showed plenty of promise against Espanyol
While it’s true that making assumptions on the basis of one game can be misleading, there were plenty of positives when Barcelona took to the field under Xavi.
Full-time: Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol
A great debut game from Xavi's Barça, especially considering the amount of injuries and the number of players he has given a chance. https://t.co/IsFqlra9zj
For one, there was a distinct intensity and pace to the game. Passing was quick, short and often done with the intent of breaking lines. However, what caught the eye the most, especially in the first half was Barcelona’s pressing.
Under Xavi, the players were frantic in their press and counter-press. Immediately after losing the ball, Barcelona players would swarm the Espanyol players to take control of possession once again. The team hasn’t pressed this well in a long time and the intensity was quite refreshing.
They also fashioned out plenty of chances with the focus being on the wings. The wingers are going to be very important in Xavi’s system at Barcelona and we shall discuss more about this later. Several players also caught the eye in that game and it will be interesting to see how their roles and performances develop over the course of the season.
Let’s talk about the five players who are expected to thrive under Xavi at Barcelona:
#5 Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia took time to adapt to Barcelona but slowly and surely, he’s showing why he’s regarded as one of the most talented young central defenders in world football.
However, it’s what he offers with the ball that demonstrates why he’s such a good fit for Xavi’s system. Against Espanyol, Garcia completed 86 passes and failed on only six occasions. Not only did he find Nico Gonzalez between the lines, he also reached advanced players like Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Memphis Depay on several occasions throughout the game.
The 20-year-old is also adept at carrying the ball out from the back. In fact, when it comes to progressive distance, Garcia leads the charts at Barcelona (2266 yards).
#4 Gavi
It has been said quite often, but given the way Gavi plays it’s hard to think that he’s just 17 years of age. The latest La Masia sensation shows the maturity and dexterity found only in seasoned veterans.
Against Espanyol, he was forced to play out of his comfort zone due to the absence of wingers but shone even there. Gavi was deployed as the winger on the left side but instead of maintaining width throughout the game, he often drifted centrally. In those cases, Alba compensated by providing width.
Xavi also used him as a strong 1v1 contender on the left half-space and flank. He would often go past and fool Espanyol players with sharp foot movements or quick exchanges. Gavi also led the counter-press for Barcelona every time they lost the ball. Not only did he win 10 ground duels, the most for a player on the night, he also recovered the ball eight times!
🔵 🔴 Xavi with Gavi #fcblive https://t.co/E06lhSDUEt
Gavi’s role also casts a light on how Xavi might use Pedri once he recovers from injury and returns to the side. Much like Gavi, Pedri is also capable of playing on the wings or half-spaces and drifting inside to create chances.