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Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi seemed to reach a head in early April.
Barcelona defeated second-place Sevilla courtesy of a magnificent Pedri strike in the 72nd minute. The squad trotted around the field applauding fans. At the time, Barcelona shot itself into second in the LaLiga table, a far cry from where it was just six months prior. The win also came on the back of the club’s biggest result of the year.
Two weeks earlier, just before the March international break, Barcelona went to Madrid and dismantled its biggest rivals. As Piqué, one of Barcelona’s leaders, put it, “<a href="https://twitter.com/3gerardpique/status/1505664571138351105">we are back</a>.”
It was Barcelona’s first win over Real Madrid since 2019. The confidence and emotion on the pitch heavily contrasted just months prior. <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/barcelona-news-antoine-griezmann-messi-24888792">Lionel Messi and Griezmann left</a>, <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11833/12413637/ronald-koeman-sacked-by-barcelona">Barcelona sacked Ronald Koeman</a>. Now, Barcelona was on top of the world Barcelona was on top of the world, at least based on form and potential.
It would not be possible without the person at the helm. Xavi’s innovative tactics and calculated transfers revolutionized an awry Barcelona club. In just a couple months, he appeared to return the Catalan side to one of the better clubs in Europe.
However, what makes the extraordinary story even more unbelievable was what came before it. Billions of dollars in debt, a self-inflicted storm nearly destroyed Barcelona.
<h5>Koeman and chaos</h5>
As a player, Ronald Koeman scored the game-winning goal for Barcelona’s first European Cup in 1992. Like other clubs in Europe, Barcelona sought to revitalize the squad’s energy with a former player as manager. Understanding the history of the Blaugrana, Koeman had successful stints at Ajax and PSV in the Eredivisie.
Koeman started off poorly, as Barcelona looked like a shadow of its old self. Barca finished third, its worst finish in LaLiga since 2008, in 2020/21. In the Champions League, a 5-2 aggregate loss against PSG sent the club packing in the round of 16. Despite the struggles, Koeman maintained some hope by leading Barcelona to a Copa del Rey title.
Then, Koeman oversaw relative disaster at the club. Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann departed in the summer, much as a result of the Barcelona board’s irresponsible finances. Using a rag-tag squad of unproven players, Barcelona only brought in Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia to replace the outgoing stars.
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona floundered. It fell to an eye-opening ninth when Barcelona sacked Koeman.
They failed not only in Spain, but they did in Europe as well. They found themselves frequently <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2021/9/29/22700768/benfica-barcelona-champions-league-final-score-match-report-recap-reactions">outclassed by Benfica and Bayern</a>. Despite two wins against Dynamo Kyiv, it suffered relegation to the Europa League.
Koeman walked into the Camp Nou as a storied Barca star who had both Messi, Griezmann and more stars at his disposal. Following a string of mediocrity, disappointment, and heartbreak, Koeman left Barcelona as a frail shell of itself.
<h3>Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi</h3>
Despite Koeman’s messy reign as Barcelona manager, Barca rebounded like no other. Appointing club hero Xavi provided glimpses of the Barcelona identity that players and managers like Johan Cruyff or Pep Guardiola helped to build. From matchday 18, Barcelona kept an unbeaten streak in league play spanning around four months.
Their recent results are thanks to the <a href="https://themastermindsite.com/2022/01/09/xavi-hernandez-fc-barcelona-tactical-analysis/">penetrative off-ball movements</a> and the tiki-taka playstyle Xavi perfected in his playing days. Instead of the quick, rapid-fire counter-attacks favored in modern-day football, Xavi, like prior iterations of Barcelona, elects for a possession-based offense complete with flashy wing play. His reliance on wingers and full-backs helps overwhelm opposing defense and get the ever-common goals Barca desperately needs.
Big wins over the two Madrid clubs accented Barcelona’s return to the upper echelon of Spanish football. In early February, Barcelona trounced Atletico Madrid 4-2 with the help of their explosive attack. Jordi Alba, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Dani Alves all found the net as Barcelona rocketed up the table.
In late March, Xavi and his squad headed to the Santiago Bernabeu looking to close a seemingly impossible gap with Real Madrid. While the league may have been out of reach, El Clásico is always a game to play for. Pride was also at stake, as Barca had previously dropped the last four games against Real in LaLiga play.
Barca showed they were a new team, reformed under the leadership of Xavi. Aubameyang’s brace, complemented by goals from Araujo and Torres, helped show Barcelona was nothing like what the world laughed at in November.
<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-356558" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20220425_CMS_381411_Xavi-Unveiling_3253a09d.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=800" alt="Former Players as managers" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/Xavi-Unveiling.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/Xavi-Unveiling-300x200.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/Xavi-Unveiling-600x400.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/Xavi-Unveiling-150x100.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/11/Xavi-Unveiling-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure>
<h5>Stumble near the end</h5>
Barcelona’s rampant form hit an unpredictable and screeching halt in mid-April.
Eintracht Frankfurt, a mid-table side in the Bundesliga, beat Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Europa League. the German side advanced 4-3 on aggregate. Even more disheartening for Barcelona fans was the number of Frankfurt fans in the stands. White shirts stood out among the red and blue supporters.
Following this loss, two losses over Barca’s next three games transpired. Rather than losing to a club like Sevilla, Real Sociedad or another strong team, these losses came at the hands of teams in the bottom half of the LaLiga table. Cádiz and Ray Vallecano both won in Barcelona in monumental victories for those clubs.
It is more than likely that Barcelona gets back to the Champions League next season. That being said, there is still reason to compete in the league. Seeding in the Champions League is one thing, but qualification to the Supercopa de España provides financial support. Clearly, that is something Barcelona desperately needs.
Plus, the Catalans still must prove they can hoist the world’s biggest trophies without Lionel Messi. That starts in LaLiga.
Under this manager, it is achievable. Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi will be under the microscope with slim margins and narratives at play.
<h5>Fire in the market</h5>
For a side that got crashes out of Europe, remains millions of dollars in debt, has an unproven manager in European soccer and plays a very particular style under said manager, Barcelona acquires interest from notable players.
This season alone, Xavi managed to acquire Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore from Premier League clubs for a combined $60 million. Of course, Aubameyang and Traore came on free transfers.
The three of them have had ups and downs with Barcelona, contributing important moments along the way. Aubameyang has been especially impactful. Nine goals in 12 league games is a strong return.
The Gabonese attacker and legendary player rapidly fell out with Arsenal fans and Gunners gaffer Mikel Arteta. Disciplinary issues and a row with Arteta surrounding Auba’s messy exit from the Emirates.
<blockquote>“My last few months at Arsenal were complicated, that’s football sometimes. For my part, I never wanted to do anything wrong. My problem was only with Arteta. I can’t say much more, I wasn’t happy. It was just him and he made that decision. He wasn’t happy, I can’t tell you more. He wasn’t very happy, I was very calm,” Aubameyang claimed.</blockquote>
Journalists like <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1508556777201229828">Fabrizio Romano report</a> that Barcelona’s shopping in the transfer market is not over yet. AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie and Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen are set to play in the blue and red of Barcelona in the coming summer, and club president Joan Laporta says there could be more signings to come. That is notwithstanding the financial obstacles Laporta and company must overcome.
It is an encouraging sign for fans. Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi comes as a result of pulling consistency out of what was a mediocre side. Now, it looks to form one of the most solid squads in LaLiga to rival Real.
PHOTO: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi still strong despite struggles

Barcelona's resurgence under Xavi took a hit over recent struggles. However, the squad is in a comfortable spot to learn from this.

Barcelona's resurgence under Xavi still strong despite struggles - World Soccer Talk

<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-376119" src="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/News_Posts_Barca_Clasico.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="725" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/03/News_Posts_Barca_Clasico.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/03/News_Posts_Barca_Clasico-600x363.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/03/News_Posts_Barca_Clasico-150x91.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/03/News_Posts_Barca_Clasico-768x464.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure>
In the prior ages of the late 2010s, Barcelona developed a tendency to rely on its stars, particularly in major games like El Clásico.
This trend remained a somewhat feasible strategy due to the play of those like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. However, the multitude of financial issues forced one of Spain’s most historic clubs to face the music.
Those three players are gone. Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien and Ronald Koeman, scapegoats of the Barcelona board, forced out of the club. Joan Laporta reassumed the presidency of the Catalan side. Essentially, the Barcelona we see now shares just a handful of similarities with those sides of old.
Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Marc-André ter Stegen remained with the side since its UEFA Champions League triumph seven years ago. Also, Dani Alves returned from travels across the world playing at the tender age of 38.
The modern Barcelona side does not depend on these players. Rather, there is a core of young talent that looks set to blossom into stars.
A midfield triumvirate of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi already boss games in LaLiga.
The attacking options may not be&nbsp;as young as those in the midfield, but it is certainly a new look. Adama Traore, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Torres are the main goal-scoring culprits.
At the head of it all is the manager. Xavi made a substitute appearance for Barcelona in that 2015 Champions League Final. It was his last appearance for the Blaugrana. He understands the power of wearing that storied shirt, which will soon have Spotify on the front.
Still, let’s not jump too far ahead. El Clásico may not have the stars of the prior generation, but the game’s next stars look set for a crucial battle on Sunday.
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<h5>Turning the page</h5>
With Sunday’s Clásico being the second meeting between the Spanish giants this season, this is not the beginning of a new era. In fact, most of the players slated to start against Real Madrid played last season or the year prior. Moreover, the two sides met in Saudi Arabia in January during the semi-final of the Supercopa de España.
Federico Valverde’s 98th-minute winner for Los Blancos continues a trend of dominance for the side from the Capital. Over the last five meetings in all competitions, Real Madrid has five wins. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has two of those wins in the last six months. To go along with the Supercopa de España win, Real Madrid knocked off the Catalans at Camp Nou in October, 2-1.
In Xavi’s time as a player for the Blaugrana, he played in <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/2442211/xavi-hernandezs-clasico-record">42 games</a> against the club’s biggest rival. Not only was the rivalry more balanced in those times, but it actually leaned somewhat in favor of Barcelona. Barcelona managed 17 wins, 12 draws and 13 defeats against Real. Xavi contributed five goals and eight assists in that time.
As stated previously, those glory years of Iniesta and Xavi feeding Messi goals are well in the past. This will be the Spaniard’s second time managing in a Clásico and the first one in Spain.
He has Barcelona playing some of their best soccer since Luis Enrique. While it is still early, ‘Xavi ball’ brought a renewed sense of joy to a dull, and <a href="https://en.as.com/en/2021/10/21/opinion/1634803277_366342.html">sometimes empty Camp Nou</a>.
What Xavi has is a project headlined by the liked of Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati, even if the latter remains plagued by injuries. This contest against Real Madrid serves as a trendsetter for the future, with some immediate implications as well.
<h3>Barcelona’s new age</h3>
You may be asking yourself how this weekend’s El Clásico differs from the one back in October. After all, I called it the start of a new era of El Clásico.
However, that Barcelona side pales in comparison to the one Xavi trots out each week now. Granted, the players are the same. Ansu Fati remains injured and the future of Ousmane Dembele is still uncertain. Albeit, the Frenchman’s performances are something Xavi will want to keep.
Still, Sunday’s fixture between the two Spanish giants is the chance for a statement game from Barcelona. It’s one thing to score four goals and beat clubs like Valencia, Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid. Doing that puts the club in contention for the top four, something that looked bleak in the reverse fixture of El Clásico.
It is another thing to be on the same level as Real Madrid. Not only is Real set to claim record-35th Spanish top flight crown, but Los Blancos make mince meat of the Spanish competition. They are 10 points clear at the top. Coincidentally, Real only dropped points in eight games this season. Interestingly, Sevilla and Real both have just two losses. The difference is that Sevilla has five more draws than the team from the capital.
Barcelona is just on the outside of that title race, if it can be called that. But, on the flip side, Barcelona is now in the top-four, looking set for Champions League qualification. The current crop of players with young ages make a difference week in and week out.
It feels strange to even write that, as it should be no less than a guarantee that Barcelona finishes as one of the four best teams in Spain in a given year. That speaks to the situation the Barcelona board put themselves in.
<div id="attachment_30" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-30" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20220319_CMS_375955_bc14d33d231cf68194be5a111b01850013e5b47b_a9065076.webp&amp;width=768&amp;height=557" alt="" width="768" height="557"></figure>Photo credit: AFP</div>
<h5>Enjoyment, then results</h5>
Over the past several years, smiles were seldom around Camp Nou. They would come in doses, like when Barcelona won the Copa del Rey last season or LaLiga in 2018/19. Or, when Barcelona dismantled Liverpool in the first leg of the 2018/19 Champions League semifinal. Lionel Messi was at his brilliant best. That was the worst-case scenario for Barcelona.
A lack of a supporting cast and a dejected feel from the Argentine set the stage for frustration as the new decade came along.
Xavi’s arrival seems to have changed all that. From the onset, Barcelona’s social media pages showed the players laughing at training, looking more like teammates than coworkers.
Debates continue about the effectiveness of this happiness at training. What cannot be debated are the results. After a rocky start including elimination from the Champions League and just three wins in his first eight official games, ‘Xavi ball’ is in full swing.
January brought a little more frustration. Athletic Club and Real Madrid knocked the Catalans out of the two most likely options for major trophies, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España. However, those are Barcelona’s only two losses in the calendar year. Coupled with nine wins and four draws, Barcelona reasserted itself as a good, maybe not great, team.
But look beyond the scoreline of the games, and you see Barcelona plays with a style, somewhat emblematic of the&nbsp;tiki-taka&nbsp;style that Xavi tortured the opposition with during his trophy-laden career as a player.
Calling this a new age for Barcelona is ironic. Pedri’ and Frenkie de Jong’s midfield creativity and the fear Adama Traore or Ousmane Dembele impose on the flanks looks like Barcelona went back in time.
<h5>The next step</h5>
That is why Sunday’s El Clásico is paramount for Barcelona. Looking across the expected lineup based on recent outings, and many of these players have either not beaten Real Madrid, or even played them at all.
Pedri and Frenkie, both frequent names throughout this piece and on Barcelona’s team sheet, have experience playing Real Madrid. However, both players only arrived ahead of the 2019/20 season. Frustration is certainly mounting for them to clear the white hurdle.
Real Madrid is the gold standard in Spain right now. A good mix of experience headlined by Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and a blazing-hot Karim Benzema combines well with the likes of Vinicius Junior and a (26-year-old) Marco Asensio.
The statement from October over the fact that this is a new generation of El Clásico remains the same. Yet, Barcelona must move on into a new age of its own. The flair seems to be coming back. Now Xavi must show the young players what it takes to unseat the best side in Spain.

Barcelona seeks new age by ending El Clásico struggles

Barcelona seeks new age by ending El Clásico struggles - World Soccer Talk

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