The good and bad of Xavi's first Barcelona game
Paul Macdonald
- 21 Nov 2021 09:11 CST
- 5 min read
After Barcelona nervously edged to a 1-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday evening, Xavi, celebrating his first game, and win, was asked what his team needed to improve.
“The football,” he said. "How to attack, where and when to do damage. Differentiating between whether they are closing the space inside or out. [But] everything is easier with a win.”
The club legend is under no illusions as to where Barcelona are on their trajectory back to the top. This was a game filled with aggressive pressing and much endeavour, but a clear lack of cutting edge and a worrying concession of chances which would have made his glorious return a disastrous night.
But what should Barcelona fans take from the performance?
THE GOOD
Young talent being blooded
It’s as much through necessity as anything else, but Xavi made a clear statement from the outset in his starting XI. Not only did newly-installed Barca B operators Gavi and Nico start as expected, but 17-year-old Ilias Akhomach was a surprise debutant to the right of the tried-and-tested 4-3-3.
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli came on for him at half-time - himself making just his third league appearance - and had an interesting half, arguably providing Barca’s most viable outlet with his direct running on the right.
Eight of the starting XI were from La Masia. It’s clear that whether he has to or not, Xavi is going to rely on that institution to build this team, and that’s with Pedri and Ansu Fati in reserve.
The high press
The ‘Barcelona way’ that Xavi is trying to revive has at its heart an aggressive press to win the ball back high. It’s fair to say that Ronald Koeman’s side didn’t have this at its core and it’s been notable since his departure - even under interim Sergi - that there’s a desire to bring this back.
The pressing was high and intense but notably far more in the first half, before this young team begun to noticeably tire.
And that will be key - Xavi getting this of adolescents, in the main, to a level of elite sport fitness where this can be maintained for the full match.
The result
As Xavi says, a win is a win. In the logjam at the top of La Liga at the moment, it’s important to just get wins to stay in touch with the Champions League positions. Given how the season has started, that alone will be the objective.
The three points doesn’t immediately put Xavi on the back foot and gives the young players (some) breathing space. That’s a positive.
TRENDING NOW
The Camp Nou atmosphere
Nearly 80,000 were in attendance for this game, a sizeable uplift on recent matches and highlights that the Catalans are with Xavi on this journey and will trust the process.
The players were treated with respect and encouragement, and it reflected in an overall vibe of positivity.
THE BAD
Dodgy penalty
Make no mistake - Barcelona were fortunate to win. The penalty that decided that contest, converted by Memphis Depay, was a ‘big team’ award that VAR really should have eradicated but that continue to persist in Spain.
Depay went down under a challenge, one in which the Espanyol defender flicked the ball to safety. It’s really not clear which sort of offence was supposedly committed. But it was given, and Depay rolled home with conviction.
Defensive frailties
Espanyol enjoyed spells in the second half where they really should have scored. Raul de Tomas is a dangerous forward, and a straightforward ball over the top completely isolated Gerard Pique and Eric Garcia and gave him a clear chance, but one he struck wide. RDT also hit the outside of the post with a free-kick and then an excellent header that was very unlucky, with goalkeeper Ter Stegen rooted to the spot.
But sub Landry Dimata was the most guilty of all. Arriving on the pitch as a sub a seconds prior, he was isolated all alone eight yards out but somehow contrived to head wide. It was a chance with an attached expected goals of 0.54, meaning he should score more often than not. How he didn’t is a total mystery.
Attacking issues
Barca started well and full of energy, but that momentum noticeably tailed off and in the second half they created virtually nothing. Depay is not the prolific forward to provide all of the creative weight on the team and though Fati will undoubtedly help, it’s an area where Barcelona have gone from riches to rags in under two years.
Even with Xavi’s ideas fully incorporated, they do look under-strength in that area and it’s likely to be an ongoing theme, one that with no money will be difficult to resolve.
TRENDING NOW
What next?
It’s a big week for Barcelona. They have a must-win match against Benfica at Camp Nou on Tuesday, before travelling to face Villarreal at El Madrigal next weekend.
By the time they play Osasuna on December 12, we’ll know quite a bit more about how Xavi is progressing, even if the understanding is that the end game for this project is years, not months, away.
