The keys to Barça's notable improvement against Atlético

The FC Barcelona attained saldar with victories the two first parties of a series of three meetings in Montjuïc (to fault of the duel in front of the Girona) that they can define the rest of the season for the ones of Xavi Hernández. After a triumph suffered in front of the Port wine to seal the ticket to the eighth of final of the Champions, the culés followed suit winning by the minimum to an Athletic of Madrid that arrived in a big state of form to Catalonia.

In this sense, the image showed by the Barça in the first part in front of the 'colchoneros' gives indications of the way to be followed of here from now on. With Gavi, Iñigo Martínez and Ter Stegen in the infirmary, the team has recovered to the thickness of his headlines and the Sunday could reach a nearer performance to what Xavi has looked for from the summer. A more intense team, with an idea of clear game and the capacity for lastimar to the rival in the just moment.

Joao Félix and Iñaki Crag appeared when more needed them

The victory of the Sunday had to two figures excluyentes: Joao Félix and Iñaki Crag. The first carried the 'MVP' and all the reflectors thanks to the so much of the victory in front of the club to the that still belongs, whereas the Alicante goalkeeper was the true hero of the day. Without Ter Stegen, Crag emulated to the German with three remarkable interventions to keep his arch in zero and leave the three points home. More timely could not be the apparition of both.

The pair Pedri-Gündogan already surrenders to the level expected

Another key factor in front of the Athletic had to see with the work of the pair Gündogan-Pedri. So much the German like the Canarian adueñaron of the centre of the field in the first part, cancelling the medullary 'rojiblanca' to give more depth to a Barça carente of ideas in his last presentations by League. Gündo Has delayed several metres regarding his last seasons in the City, with a more conservative version that remembers to the one of his years in the Borussia Dortmund.

Still like this, the one of Gelsenkirchen keeps on being important thanks to his vision of game, that that allows him find spaces in rival field like few in the world. Regarding the '8', the same player has admitted not being still to the 100 %, but all the football culé goes through his feet. Claro is, the work of Pedri and Ílkay gives a jump thanks to the presence of Frenkie of Jong. With the Dutch from the go, the team finds a balance that anybody more has been able to give him up to now.

Xavi has found, at last, to his ideal defence

In defence also there were high points in front of the Atleti. In spite of the unexpected drop of Iñigo Martínez, Andreas Christensen did the duties in his return to the eleven, cancelling with authority to Álvaro Morata. By his part, Ronald Araújo went back to lead the saga like captain, this time like head office, whereas Jules Koundé approved with honours his work in the right side. Xavi went back to bet by Joao Cancel to profile changed, with which the egarense seems to have found, at last, the ideal defensive line to brake the bloodletting seen in the beginning of the season. The Sunday, the Girona will be an ideal rival to put to proof, again, to the renewed Barcelona bottom.