It’s a brand new Barcelona this season. It feels very very like a extra thrilling one, however is it actually a greater Barca as Xavi seeks to mix fashion with substance by integrating Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix into his facet?
Defensively talking, the addition of the 2 Portuguese internationals weakens a staff that seemed on target to shatter a bunch of information final season. With Barca’s unlikely penchant for a 1-0 win, they could properly have set all-time LaLiga defensive information had they not gained the title so rapidly and comfortably with 9 of their 20 objectives conceded coming after the seventieth minute on matchday 34 which noticed Xavi’s staff clinch the title within the derby at Espanyol.
Barcelona have since misplaced Sergio Busquets and with funds tight, there was comparatively restricted motion within the switch market till the deadline day additions of Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, two extraordinarily gifted gamers who’ve already proven what harm they’re able to inflicting within the closing third of the pitch.
Barcelona stats since signing Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo
| Matches (all competitions) | 8 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Attracts | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Objectives Scored | 21 |
| Objectives Conceded | 7 |
The early indicators are actually optimistic by way of the distinction the 2 Joaos could make. Barcelona are unbeaten in 8 matches in all competitions because the duo arrived, successful 6 of them and averaging 2.63 objectives per recreation.
Whereas it’s nonetheless solely a small pattern dimension, we’ve seen some wonderful attacking soccer from the Catalans who solely averaged 1.84 objectives per recreation throughout LaLiga 2022/23. Of the 21 objectives scored by Barcelona of their final 8 video games, 8 have been scored or assisted by both Cancelo or Felix.
The positives and negatives to enjoying each in the identical staff have been most vividly demonstrated within the current residence recreation in opposition to Celta Vigo because the guests shocked the Estadi Olímpic by taking a two aim lead and discovering gaps within the Barca defence that have been seldom current final season.
Nonetheless the presence of Cancelo and Felix and their capacity to serve up alternatives for Robert Lewandowski was finally the totally decisive issue within the recreation because the hosts scored thrice within the closing ten minutes with the 2 new boys organising objectives for the Polish striker earlier than Cancelo himself popped up with the winner.
It’s placing simply how rapidly Cancelo and Felix have emerged as not simply good new choices, however key members of this staff and for now no less than assured starters in Barcelona’s finest eleven. Each males have began each recreation in LaLiga and the Champions League since coming off the bench to make their Barca debuts at Osasuna in early September.
That’s notably shocking within the case of Felix, given Xavi’s obvious reluctance to signal a participant who flattered to deceive all through a lot of his time at Atletico Madrid.
How do the Portuguese duo alter Xavi’s method?
Xavi’s determination to so rapidly combine each Cancelo and Felix into his staff has partly come about as a result of instant influence that each made, but in addition due to accidents to Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, two of Barca’s most artistic gamers.
That has largely enforced the present trade-off which has seen the Barca coach subject a extra combative midfield with Gavi working in a deeper position than we regularly noticed him in final time period, while relying extra on his new signings to create alternatives. Cancelo has been given freedom to roam forwards from proper again whereas Felix is clearly having fun with his position on the left with the flexibleness to chop inside and function as extra of a quantity ten.
It’s an method that has produced good outcomes, though it’s true that there was a slight dip in current efficiency ranges with Barcelona not at their finest within the 1-0 Champions League win at Porto, nor the 2-2 draw at Granada simply previous to the worldwide break.
It’s going to be very fascinating to see what Xavi does when he lastly has a full squad to select from, a state of affairs which will nonetheless be a way off given the membership’s present harm issues.
For now, he appears very proud of Cancelo at proper again with Jules Kounde enjoying in, or no less than competing for a spot in his most popular central defensive position.
Discovering the appropriate stability additional up the pitch would be the problem when De Jong and notably Pedri is match once more, whereas the emergence of electrical teenager Lamine Yamal presents a contemporary dilemma as a brand new, extra watchable Barca takes form.
Acid checks lie forward
Pleasure over the preliminary influence of Cancelo and Felix ought to be cooled by a comparatively beneficial set of fixtures and Barcelona’s place in a significantly weaker Champions League group than was actually the case final season.
That can quickly change although with a testing fortnight forward that may see the Catalans face fellow high six opponents within the form of Athletic Membership, Actual Madrid and Actual Sociedad in successive matchdays.
With Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Pedri, Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal all at the moment battling accidents, Barca followers will likely be anxious in regards to the harm that might probably be finished to their title defence, notably given there may be already a 3 level deficit to make up on Actual Madrid.
The prospect of going into El Clasico with out so many key gamers is especially worrying from a Barca perspective and the fixture might show the acid check of whether or not Xavi is keen to be daring and actually belief the likes of Felix and Cancelo to show it on in opposition to elite opposition, or whether or not he reverts to the extra pragmatic method that we ceaselessly noticed final season.
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