“They have changed their philosophy” - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti explains the difference between Barcelona under Xavi and Hansi Flick
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti observed the differences between Barcelona under former coach Xavi and current coach Hansi Flick. The German tactician took over the helm following Xavi's departure in May 2024.
Xavi's last managerial season at Barcelona ended trophyless, with the Catalan side losing LaLiga to Real Madrid by 10 points. They were also knocked out of the Champions League after a 6-4 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the quarter-finals.
Another 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final further added to their worries.
Despite expressing a desire to leave mid-season, Xavi decided to stay at Barca for another season. However, in a surprising turn of events he was sacked by the management days after agreeing to stay. Hansi Flick replaced the Spaniard after signing a two-year deal with the LaLiga outfit.
Under Flick, La Blaugrana have recorded nine wins in ten games in LaLiga so far and sit atop the league table with 27 points. They also beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, marking a victory against the Bavarian giants after nine years.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's El Clasico (October 26), Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti weighed in on the difference between Barcelona under Xavi and Hansi Flick. He said (via Fabrizio Romano):
"Barcelona have changed they philosophy. Now, they played more vertically, in an easier way. But I don't want to compare with Xavi's Barca because we lost some times against him. We respect both versions of Barca."
The Catalan side have lost the last four official El Clasicos and will be desperate to secure three points on Saturday. However, Real Madrid are currently on a 42-game-unbeaten streak in LaLiga.
A win or draw in the El Clasico could see them equal Barca's record of going 43 games unbeaten in the league between 2017 and 2018.
"The biggest threat" - Barcelona defender Jules Kounde on Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr
In an interview with African sports channel Sporty TV, Barcelona defender Jules Kounde discussed going up against Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. in the El Clasico. He said (via Barca Universal):
"He is probably the biggest threat but they have other players. It’s a team full of talent, players who can decide games almost single-handedly. Vinicius is not a player you can stop on your own, especially for 90 minutes. He doesn’t stop, and there will definitely be moments when I need help.”
Kounde has faced Vinicius Jr. in 12 games over his time in Sevilla and Barcelona across competitions. Seven of them were El Clasicos, with the French defender registering three wins and four losses.
It will be exciting to see how Kounde attempts to tackle Vini Jr. in the upcoming Clasico, with the Brazilian being in red-hot form for Real Madrid this season. The Brazilian has eight goals and seven assists in 14 appearances for Los Blancos.