Despite the injuries faced by some key FC Barcelona players, Xavi has been able to navigate the team through a difficult set of fixtures with maximum points won in the last four games.
When the injured players like Pedri and Araujo return to the team, the starting XI for Xavi is expected to change. However, as opposed to speculation at the start of the season, Gavi remains the heart of the team with his unique skills and attributes.
Gavi praised by Xavi
As already reported here, Gavi was one of the players that Xavi picked out for particular praise after the match against Real Betis. The Barcelona head coach particularly eulogized the midfielder for his adaptability in the midfield and the passion that he displays in every appearance he makes.
These two attributes were on full display when Gavi took the field against Betis. As Gundogan was absent from the starting lineup, Gavi played as an interior midfielder and took a deeper position on the field than usual.
He ran tirelessly throughout the game, putting pressure on Betis players, and also passed the ball efficiently in the attack.
Performance against Real Betis
As SPORT has highlighted, the midfielder recorded a passing success rate of 96%, as he completed fifty-five of his fifty-seven passes. He was one of the most active players for Barcelona, as he had 73 touches on the ball.
Defensively, Gavi won seven duels, including an aerial duel, despite him being only 1.73 meters tall. Gavi also committed four fouls. However, his importance for Barcelona was most clearly shown by the seven times that he won the ball against Betis, which helped the Catalans maintain pressure on the Verdiblancos defense.
Thus, Gavi remains an important part of Xavi’s team. However, it will be interesting to see if he can retain his starting spot if Xavi decides to go with a 4-3-3 formation in the coming matches and plays Felix on the left wing.
Gavi will have to compete with Gundogan, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong for one of two midfield spots, especially as Xavi is unlikely to go in a match without Romeu as the pivot.
