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Xavi Hernández LuisEnrique

XAVI'S APPROACH FAR SURPASSED LUIS ENRIQUE'S

The student outperformed the teacher! Xavi taught Luis Enrique not to question his Barça DNA

Published:11/04/2024 - 10:39h

Updated:11/04/2024 - 16:11h

Football does not always prove one coach or another right, although the first leg of the quarter-finals between PSG and Barça did make it clear that Xavi Hernandez can represent Barça's DNA very well, even with Luis Enrique at the helm

Calendar of FC Barcelona

In spite of the historical superiority that Luis Enrique can have on Xavi Hernández like trainer, something that the own Asturian stood out the past Tuesday, finally the míster of the FC Barcelona remained with the duel of technicians in the gone of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. A doublet of Raphinha guided the Barcelona triumph, that had a traced back in the Park of the Princes, especially thanks to the changes of the míster culé.

And it is that two of these modifications had immediate impact and gave him to the Barça a big victory (2-3) in Paris, leaving to the Barcelona club in a big position of face to the meeting of turn, which will play next Tuesday in Montjuïc. The triumph culé, in spite of no longer exist the extra value for the goals of visitor, means the can handle with more tranquility the second party of the eliminatory, but also was a hit on the table of Xavi with regard to if it can represent better, or no, the DNA Barça.

Luis Enrique tried to go in in the head of Xavi and little could do

Luis Enrique, very to his style, had cleared that the statistical put it very above the egarense and therefore it could represent much better the philosophy of game of the Catalan group, but already on the field the difference did not go such. In fact, the decisions of the trainer of the Barça modified the course of the party of big way, sobreponiéndose to the change in the rest of the PSG, that in some measure, allowed that the Frenchmen could trace back the 0-1 initial of Raphinha.

And it is that already with the 2-1, and knowing that the tie could be a result also very positive, but besides detecting the numerical inferiority and of intensity in the centre of the field, Xavi commanded to the field to Pedri shortly after fulfilling the hour of party. Andn this moment produced the return of the Canarian after his injury in March, but the most important is that the success of this change was instantaneous.

The '8' delivered a surgical pass to a Raphinha that took advantage of again the defensive weakness of PSG, and without controlling, defined of volley with his left-handed to complete his doublet and besides leave him clear to Luis Enrique that was being surpassing in his role of 'master'. The Asturian wanted to show his superiority in almost all the party when trying have so many 'jugones' in the field as it was possible and, from the possession, attack more and win like this the party.

Luis Enrique corrected very little and of the another side found with Xavi very hit

However, in a moment it had to retreat in his intentions and add a third mediocampista, something that in France surprised to many when it did not do when taking into account that it played with a double pivote very little defensive when leaving in the bench to mediocentros pure like Zaïre-Emery, Danilo or Ugarte. But surely the most questionable was to go out without a '9' to the party, something that besides only modified to the 85 minutes, whereas of the another side, Xavi tried to do all what the party asked him, so much with the XI, as afterwards with the changes.

Like this it would arrive the 2-3 final, thanks to an attempt of the Catalan to consolidate his midfield with the entry of Andreas Christensen by a Frenkie of Jong that also was going back after little more than a month of drop by injury. The Danish represented can handle better the Parisian attacks that surely would arrive in the last chamber of hour, but is that besides the central, reconverted to pivote, knew to give another aggregated in this change: the aerial game.

A minute in the field and annotated without problem any after a shot of corner to the small area. Like this, Xavi completed his demonstration that many times does not do fault so much previous experience and important titles to know read better a party and besides use of better forms what have available. Now in the turn the Barça will be able to begin with the control of the eliminatory, although the egarense himself that will need to show again his handle tactical and of modifications to the not being able to explain by sanction with Christensen neither with Sergi Roberto.

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