After the highs of last season, during which they won the La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona have not been at their best in the current campaign.
Things were so dire at a certain point that manager Xavi Hernandez opted to announce his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, following the harrowing defeat to Villarreal.
Since then, however, things have taken a turn for the positive for Barcelona as they have strung together a fine run of form that sees them in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and second place in La Liga.
As things stand, Barça are eight points shy of Real Madrid in La Liga – with a Clasico yet to be played.
On the European front, they face PSG, who have not been at their best this season, and if they go past them, a semi-final vs Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund awaits.
While still a gargantuan task, the possibility of Barcelona still winning a trophy before the end of the season remains alive and as Xavi said after the win against Atletico Madrid, it is the time to dream.
However, the manager and his staff will need to improve upon several areas if Barcelona are to stand a chance of adding a trophy to their cabinet this season.
In-game management
One of the major gripes against Xavi has been his in-game management and substitutions that often leave fans puzzled.
The reluctance to call on attackers like Vitor Roque and Marc Guiu in situations when goals are needed, the lack of minutes for the former in general, and his insistence on using Sergi Roberto in unfavourable situations like the Copa del Rey tie vs Athletic Club are some examples.
On Sunday night against Atletico, there was a case for Xavi to relieve the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Robert Lewandowski with the game in the bag. Instead, he opted to take off players like Sergi Roberto, who would not be involved in the international break.
There was also a case for Lamine Yamal to be not brought on as early as Xavi did, with Raphinha playing…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/three-things-xavi-still-needs-to-improve-so-barcelona-can-win-a-title-this-season/
Author : Michel Durant
Publish date : 2024-03-18 14:29:49
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