If Madrid and Barça are communicating vessels between each other, they have rarely been so far apart. The Riyadh Classic was the confirmation of the full health of the whites and the decline of the blaugranas, distraught for trying to play something that is too big for them right now. There is no tactical conviction in Xavi’s plan. They pretend to be a team that presses high, in reference to the old Barça, without really believing it. He wants to control the game and have breadth and verticality at the same time without being able to comply in any of these aspects. His identity crisis reaches all levels and exposes him to almost any rival, a tendency that has worsened in the last passages of the course without having anything to do with a supposed lack of general commitment. Based on statistics, They have conceded the same number of goals in their last eight games in all competitions (17) as in their previous 20 (another 17). With Madrid and other roosters in front, as manifested in the Super Cup, their vulnerability multiplies.
The collapse of the Super Cup
The final against Madrid brought out the version
Barça’s anti-competitive behavior and its global shortcomings. Vinicius
He made fun of all the defects of Xavi’s team.
xG: assigns a probability of a chance being a goal based on
of the characteristics of the play.
It all starts from a poorly structured high pressure that opens a hole in the back
of the defensive line. The origin of the first two goals is very symptomatic.
Bellingham is alone between the lines behind the media’s back.
Carvajal has no opposition, Valverde and Bellingham are freed and Rodrygo breaks into space.
The collapse of the Super Cup
The final against Madrid
brought out the version
Barça’s anti-competitive behavior
and its global shortcomings. Vinicius
he made fun of everyone
the defects of Xavi’s.
xG: assigns a probability of
that an occasion is a goal depending
of the characteristics of the play.
Everything starts from high pressure
poorly structured that opens
a hole in the back
of the defensive line.
The origin of the first two
goals is very symptomatic.
Bellingham is alone among
lines behind the media.
Carvajal has no opposition,
Valverde and Bellingham are
released and Rodrygo breaks
to space.
Barcelona transmits a feeling of alarming weakness. Xavi invokes Cruyff while the script places him as the bad guy of the film. The coach has dedicated himself to a football principle that his team has no arguments to defend in this instance. The insistence on applying high pressure breaks the block because it is not directed well, the players do not press enough and the distance between lines becomes visible. In LaLiga they have added 160 recoveries in the final third of the field, the same as Madrid, but far behind Athletic’s 215 and behind Sevilla’s 182, Real’s 169 and Osasuna’s 168. These are less data than a team that seeks to make high blood pressure a philosophy of life should have. In the end, Xavi places the block very far from his goal, leaving wide spaces behind his defensive line. An extravagance that deservedly penalizes him. In that context, it becomes a very easy game for opponents to hunt.
A gap in the blackboard
Barça wants to play something for which, at least, it is not prepared.
The block lacks stability, presses poorly and has lost offensive freshness.
The numbers are stubborn.
2022-23
-2.32
-9.45
1.91
0.87
14.87
5.32
59
604.91
2023-24
-7.66
1.4
1.93
1.21
17
6.39
54
604.14
Expected goal difference
Difference in expected goals conceded
Goals per game
Goals conceded per game
Total shots per game
On goal per game
Recoveries per match
Passes per game
The main problem with Xavi’s team is that they press without pressing.
The team does not travel together, it does not overwhelm the ball holder
and there is a lot of space behind such an advanced defense.
This year it has lost vigor in the recovery. Not all
It boils down to João Félix and Lewandowski not pushing.
Possessions
Wins in the offensive third
Wins in the middle third
Wins in the defensive third
Rüdiger has an easy pass into space.
Simple inside delivery for Madrid.
A gap in the blackboard
Barça wants to play one thing
for which, at least, not
He’s prepared. The block
lacks stability,
press wrong and have lost
offensive freshness. The numbers
They are stubborn.
2022-23
-2.32
-9.45
1.91
0.87
14.87
5.32
59
604.91
2023-24
-7.66
1.4
1.93
1.21
17
6.39
54
604.14
Expected goal difference
Difference expected goals conceded
Goals*
Goals conceded*
Total shots*
To door*
Recoveries*
Passes*
The main problem of
Xavi’s is that they press
without pressing. The team does not travel
together, it does not overwhelm the owner
of the ball and there is a lot of space
behind a defense
so advanced
This year it has lost vigor
in recovery. Not all
It is summed up that João Félix
and Lewandowski do not push.
Possessions won
in the offensive third
in the middle third
in the defensive third
Rüdiger has an easy pass into space.
Simple inside delivery
for Madrid.
If pressure is his biggest problem, his approach with the ball does not speak very well of his performance either. Everything is linked to each other. As he does not lose the ball in the best possible way, he is fatally exposed to press after that loss. His possession lacks order and avoidance of excessive individual errors. The ball spends more time than it should on the sides, with little interior thread between the lines. They have even taken away the flag of possession. That up to six major league teams average more passes per sequence is a sign that something is not right. It doesn’t matter if Xavi opts for three forwards or four midfielders; the result is the same. Busquets is no longer there, Gavi has been injured and Pedri is always limping. It is in Barça’s interest to bring Gündogan closer to the front of the rival area and not see him so far back, but Xavi has delayed him because he believes he has no other choice. Likewise, it is assumed that a midfield with De Jong, Gündogan himself and Pedri has plenty of quality and understanding of the game, but until now their level as a whole has been very uneven. What’s more, when all three have started (seven games), Barça averages a very poor 43% win rate, 1.3 goals for and 1.4 goals against; When the three do not act together, the figures improve to 71.4% wins, 2.1 goals for and 1.1 goals against.
The false control of the game
Having possession does not mean, today more than ever for Barça,
dominate the matches. But even every time he loses
faster and worse the ball.
Top big league teams
with more passes per sequence
PSG
Man. City
real Madrid
Naples
Barcelona
Bayern
lazio
5.41
5.35
5.0
4.64
4.64
4.3
4.24
Man. City
PSG
real Madrid
B. Leverkusen
Brighton
Bayern
Barcelona
5.55
5.4
4.97
4.94
4.88
4.74
4.62
Barça football passes less and less through the center of the
field and reaches the wings too soon.
The false control of the game
Having possession does not mean, today
more than ever for Barça,
dominate the matches. But is that
even every time he loses
faster and worse the ball.
Top big league teams
with more passes per sequence
Man. City
PSG
real Madrid
B. Leverkusen
Brighton
Bayern
Barcelona
5.55
5.4
4.97
4.94
4.88
4.74
4.62
PSG
Man. City
real Madrid
Naples
Barcelona
Bayern
lazio
5.41
5.35
5.0
4.64
4.64
4.3
4.24
Barça football passes
less and less in the center
from the field and arrives too much
soon to the bands.
To the worrying testimony that his game expresses It is accompanied by an endemic disease in the areas. This is Xavi’s main justification to explain Barça’s deterioration this season. In part, reason assists him. His lack of hierarchy in attacking finishing and guarding his goal is confirmed in the numbers. He should have scored eight more goals than he has in all competitions according to the advanced statistics parameter of expected goals — assigns a probability that a chance will be a goal. Lewandowski, for example, should have scored four more goals in LaLiga. Back, Barça should also have received almost two less, but this figure makes more sense when compared to the fact that the previous season they had to concede practically ten more than they registered. The areas make Barça’s wound bigger, but its condemnation is the game.
The condemnation of the areas
The game lowers Barça and its lack of authority
In the hot areas it ends up sentencing him.
Expected goals 5 major leagues 2023-24. league only
Cologne
Barcelona
Brentford
Almeria
Everton
Empoli
Chelsea
Alavés
Celtic
Lyon
Nice
17
19
19
twenty
twenty-one
twenty
twenty-one
twenty
twenty
18
18
eleven
36
26
19
24
eleven
35
18
twenty-one
17
19
19.02
43.89
33.85
26.76
31.72
18.52
42.1
25.02
27.85
23.52
25.23
-8.02
-7.89
-7.85
-7.76
-7.72
-7.52
-7.1
-7.02
-6.85
-6.52
-6.23
Only Colonia has a worse expected goal difference than Xavi’s
in the five major leagues.
xG in favor in 2023 in all competitions
xG: assigns a probability of a chance being a goal based on
of the characteristics of the play.
In his own area, he also suffers excessively.
Shots received
9.5 (2022-23) and 10.8 (2023-24)
He has conceded more goals this campaign than he should;
quite the opposite of the previous season…
The condemnation of the areas
The game lowers Barça and its lack
of authority in hot zones
He ends up sentencing him.
Cologne
Barcelona
Brentford
Almeria
Everton
Empoli
Chelsea
Alavés
Celtic
Lyon
Nice
17
19
19
twenty
twenty-one
twenty
twenty-one
twenty
twenty
18
18
19.02
43.89
33.85
26.76
31.72
18.52
42.1
25.02
27.85
23.52
25.23
-8.02
-7.89
-7.85
-7.76
-7.72
-7.52
-7.1
-7.02
-6.85
-6.52
-6.23
Only Colonia has a worse
expected goal difference
of Xavi in the five major leagues.
xG in favor in 2023 in
all competitions
xG: assigns a probability of
that an occasion is a goal depending
of the characteristics of the play.
In your own area, too
suffers excessively. Shots received
