Last season there were up to six streaks of three or more wins in a row. The last one was in April: it started with the victory in the Cup final against Athletic – precisely today’s rival – and continued with Getafe and Villarreal. The next game in the series would be against Granada at the Camp Nou. A duel that Barça would lose resoundingly and, from there, would fall into the abyss until saying goodbye to any chance of winning the League. A crisis of results and game that would continue for much of this course.
It has taken almost a year, two transfer markets, a change of coach and many unexpected situations – such as Messi’s farewell or the elimination of the Champions League in the group stage – for Barça to think positively again. . Everything indicates that Xavi has played the key and that the team, now, is starting the comeback after having hit bottom. The game has improved and the results are starting to smile. But, just as President Joan Laporta had to lift the spirits of the fans when things got worse, now the organization wants to contain the euphoria of some fans who already see the glass half full. “Everyone calm down, that nothing has been gained here yet”, they point out both from the dressing room and from the offices.
The cameras captured how President Laporta celebrated the victory in Naples with euphoria, along with the other directors who traveled with the expedition. He was also dressed in the dressing room. But it was the joy of a night. Prudence returned the next day. “We have to keep working, it’s the only way for more victories to come,” said sources in the locker room. “We have to go slowly and humbly,” said one of the executives, who was seen live on Thursday 2-4. It’s exactly the same slogan. In fact, it was one of the topics of conversation on the plane back in Barcelona.
Xavi does not give up self-criticism
The person in charge of publicly conveying this message has been Xavi Hernández, who in the preview of the match against Athletic Club maintained the same caution in his speech as after the loose victory in Naples. “It’s good that there is excitement, but we have to take it easy and touch the ground. We must continue to work and be humble, working hard in every game. We do not rule out the League, but it is true that the numbers make it difficult. I also celebrate that the president is enthusiastic, he conveys his energy to us. I am also very excited about the good times we have and, when we don’t win, the fans will at least see that we have given everything “, explained the coach.
In fact, Xavi wants to convey to his team the same demands and neatness that he put on the grass during his time as a player. “We are in a good dynamic, but we still have a lot of points to improve. It is evidence that there has been a significant evolution since we took over the team so far, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Sometimes we lose some balls that can’t be. We should be ashamed to lose the ball. “
To beat Athletic Club, the coach is also confident that his team will gain in defensive solidity. Barça have embraced effectiveness in recent games, but have accumulated five games in a row being unable to leave the goal at zero. Xavi recovers Lenglet, who was discharged yesterday, like Memphis, and also returns to the Alves call-up, after losing the last two league games due to a suspension. The doubt is who will occupy the left side of the defense, because Jordi Alba is out due to the accumulation of yellow cards. The two main options provided by the Barça coach are to place Sergiño Dest on the left and for Alves to reappear as a starter on the right wing or, instead, to change the drawing and play with a three-center scheme. In any case, you have to pay close attention to the speed of brothers Iñaki and Nico Williams.
