Memphis leads Barça to victory against Espanyol (1-0) in Xavi's debut

Published:20/11/2021 - 22:56h

Updated:20/11/2021 - 23:45h

Xavi begins his go through the bench of the Barça with a victory and good feelings of the team. The order and the pressure after loss were the two novelties in a party that Memphis defined from the eleven metres

The 'was Xavi' in the FC Barcelona begins with victory. The trainer of Terrassa has had very little time to prepare to his team, but has not renounced to his style. The Barcelona picture began with surprise, by the titularity of Akhomach, and with the 4-3-3 very marked, to the style of the house. The Barça showed very trusted the first party of Xavi in the bench, with the big difference of the high pressure and, especially, pressure after immediate loss. The culés were being very vertical, looking for the back of the defence with high balloons in a lot of occasions and with a lot of walls.

The balloon was of the Barcelona at all times and Memphis Depay was the first in warning of face to the goal of Diego López to the that the experience does not remove him his power under the three sticks. The Dutch took out a shot in a volley from the frontal that detained with a lot of confidence the guardameta 'perico'. The Barça was tightening, arriving, and finalising played, like novelty. Nico went back to throw, but left very high.

The clearest opportunity arrived to the chamber of hour, although it was cancelled by offside. The 'surprise' of the eleven of Xavi, Ilias Akhomach, in front of the goal of the 'pericos', commanded the balloon to the clouds, as it did it in his moment Sergiño Dest against the Real Madrid. The Barça was generating too much and there was not opposition of an Espanyol that did not find how surpass the lines of pressure of a Barcelona picture very enchufado and put in the party... And that was the best news in the debut of Xavi Hernández in the benches.

The pressure on top of the culés was being key to drown the attempts of the Espanyol to go out to the against. The Barça left the feeling that the goal could fall anytime, with the excellent note that when there was depth and went in in action Jordi Alba, Gavi and Ilais, was the safe feeling of danger. Busquets had his occasion, to the half hour of party, with a powerful shot with the left, from the frontal, so that Diego López went back to lucirse with a new paradón.

There was monologue of the Barça, but the result followed 0-0 and the Espanyol, that is a team that 'always is' and that has to Raúl of Tomás that is living his best moment, tried to concern in the area culé. Precisely the international with Spain had one of the best occasions of the first part to the edge of the rest, after stealing him the balloon to Mingueza, confine in the area and send a finish that it hit in Hammered to leave brushing the crossbar and cause a corner that the ones of Vicente Moreno did not take advantage of.

Memphis Opened the marker for the Barça

The second time started with controversy and penal in favour of the Barça. Memphis Fell inside the area in an action with Cabrera, in which the player of the Espanyol touched to the Dutch, although first it touched the spherical. Hill Of the Big did not doubt in pitar the maximum penalty and from the VAR rectified his decision. Memphis Deceived to Diego López from the eleven metres and commanded a shot raso to mark the first goal of the 'was Xavi' in the Barça.

In front of the protests of the 'pericos', the Barcelona followed with the same script and in the research of a second goal that sentenced the party. Abde, that went in to replace to Akhomac, signed a good juhada that finish with a centre that repelled the defence. The refuse hunted it Busquets, but his shot did not see goal. To the hour of party was Pedrosa the one who saved, almost under the three sticks, a finish crossed of Abde that already had surpassed to López, after a pass magistral of 'Busi'. The defender diverted the balloon and avoided the 2-0.

The research did not detain and was Frenkie of Jong the one who saw goal, but his so much was cancelled by an offside very clear. Nevertheless, the Espanyol no quiería go without at all and left the feeling that it wanted to do work of more to the defence of the Barça and to Marc-André ter Stegen. First they signed an approach that finish with a fault of Abde in the lateral line of the area and a new occasion that silenció to all the Camp Nou. Raúl of Tomás controlled a balloon in long between the defences, but his finish left brushing the stick.

The Barça finish suffering

The ones of Xavi Hernández, in spite of the approaches of the 'pericos', followed dominating a party that was being calm further of the difficulty of the culés to break the goal. Abde, that was being protagonist from his entry, went back to appear withor na big action to go between two defenders and take out a shot that left brushing the crossbar of Diego López.

The ones of Vicente Moreno were treating to react and were smelling much more the balloon in the last stretch of the party, with three occasions in which they could sign perfectly the tie to ruin him the night to the Barcelona. First it went with a free shot of 'RdT' that, by miracle, did not go in to the arch, another in the 84', that went a failure 'saviour', because it went inside... Wu Lei Commanded a centre and Dimata was entirely only in front of the guardameta German. Had time to think the finish, but finished it doing with the head, shooting directly went. 'RdT', that did to suffer to the defence to the end, commanded a finish to the stick, after a head butt. It had surpassed to Ter Stegen but found , again, with the wood.

With good feelings in the beginning and suffering to the end, the Barça has carried the victory in front of a rival that always is complicated and that allows to the culés have hope in the beginning of the step of Xavi Hernández by the benches. There is in what trust and can have surprises in the weeks to come. With this triumph, the Barça remains with 20 points in the classification and in the sixth position. To eight points of the current leader, the Seville, with 28.

Technical index card of the party: FC Barcelona 1-0 RCD Espanyol

FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Hammered, Eric, Mingueza (min. 88, Araújo); Busquets (min. 78, Riqui Puig), Nico (min. 88, Demir), Frenkie; Gavi (min. 70, Coutinho), Memphis and Akhomach (min. 45, Abde).
RCD Espanyol: Diego López; Aleix Vidal, Sergi Gómez, Cabrera, Pedrosa; David López (min. 55, Morlanes), Sergi Darder, Herrera (min. 77, Loren Morón); Embarba (min. 77, Wu Lei), Puado (min. 55, Nico Melamed) and Raúl of Tomás.
Referee: Of the Big Hill.
Incidences: corresponding Party to the fourteenth day of LaLiga Santander 2021-2022.
Goals of the party: 1-0, Memphis Depay (min. 48).