Xavi could return to La Liga-winning tactic for Barcelona’s next few games – report

Barcelona’s form has been a topic of concern for a while now. The team has not looked the same since the Clasico defeat earlier this month, and the manager has come out openly to accept that his side is not in the right mental headspace.

Gavi’s injury only makes matters worse for the Catalans. With arguably their most valuable midfielder ruled out until the end of the season, Xavi has a new factor to consider before considering tactical changes.

Back to square one

Last season, Xavi Hernandez largely preferred a four-man midfield setup with Gavi deployed as the false left-winger. However, things changed after the arrival of Joao Felix this summer, as the youngster made the left-wing position his own.

According to reports from SPORT, Xavi is considering reverting back to the four-midfielder setup. Frenkie de Jong will start at the base of the midfield, while Pedri Gonzalez and Ilkay Gundogan operate as the interiors.

The fourth midfield spot sees strong competition between Fermin Lopez and Oriol Romeu. The former will likely operate as a false winger if deployed while the latter can serve as a handy option in the defensive midfield. Needless to say, both players bring very different tactical edges to the table.

A hidden resource

As revealed earlier today, Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto is close to complete fitness and is expected to receive the medical green light in the coming days. He has been out for over one month after sustaining a leg injury, and his return will serve as a big boost to Xavi’s midfield.

While Roberto will not be a regular starter, he will see regular game-time in midfield after Gavi’s injury. It remains to be seen if the manager prefers to deploy him in the role of a false-winger or an interior, especially with critical fixtures against Porto, Atletico Madrid and Girona coming up.

Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/xavi-could-return-to-la-liga-winning-tactic-for-barcelonas-next-few-games-report/

Author : Adithya Eshwarla

Publish date : 2023-11-22 17:36:47

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.