In Riyadh, in the final of the Super Cup, Xavi discovered and unveiled his gala eleven for the first time. Barcelona, ​​in their best match of the season, swept Madrid to lift the first title of the Terrassa manager’s era. Ten days later, against Real Sociedad in the Cup, he repeated the lineup again. They are the only two matches in the entire season in which Xavi has had all his best starting men available. This ideal and idyllic team will also not be seen tomorrow in the second leg of the cup semi-finals.
In fact, tomorrow’s Barcelona at Camp Nou will look more like the first leg at the Bernabéu than the one in Riyadh. You only have to take a look at the Barcelona infirmary, where Frenkie de Jong and Christensen are crowded together with Dembélé and Pedri – four who started in Riyadh – to realize that it lacks key pieces in all the lines of the rural area.
It is a constant this season that Barcelona is finding it difficult to show its best version and it is, to a certain extent, logical, taking into account the many and painfully widespread absences. This has not prevented Xavi’s team from being a solid and unapproachable leader in the League and being 90 (or 120 minutes) away from standing in the Cup final. On the other hand, this difficulty in consolidating an eleven contrasts with a Real Madrid that reaches the decisive months, April and May, especially in the Champions League, with the squad ready and in crescendo, with Benzema (16 goals after the World Cup) at the head After scoring at Anfield, only one team has been able to defeat Ancelotti’s team: Barça… and twice.
A month ago, the Blaugrana took to the field without 7, 8 and 9. The French winger, the Canary brain and Lewandowski, the Polish goalscorer, were out and did not even travel. In addition, Christensen had some discomfort the day before and the coaching staff chose not to take risks with his condition. That night in the white stadium, Barcelona was forced to a defensive exercise unprecedented in recent history. Outplayed in possession (he only had 35%), he took the lead with a rebound goal and dug in to leave Ter Stegen’s goal intact.
The defense may be the same as then, with Araújo moved to the right to keep a close eye on VinÃcius, Koundé and Marcos Alonso – as in Elche – on the axis and Balde on the left side. Very well integrated, between the four of them they managed to prevent Madrid from firing a single shot between the posts in their own home.
Frenkie de Jong has not been missing alongside Busquets in any of Xavi’s six classics. To replace Pedri, the Catalan opted for Kessié for the Bernabéu in the Cup and chose Sergi Roberto in the League at the Camp Nou. Now he will need both the Ivorian and Reus. Gavi will complete the drawing of the four midfielders. There is no wax here but that which burns.
Upstairs, where there are fewer places, is where you have more to choose from. Lewandowski, with his sense of smell recovered, is indisputable, while Raphinha, who rested against Elche due to a suspension, leaves with an advantage ahead of Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati, who scored on the last day and will wait for the its time From a good start, Barça kept winning.
