Barcelona have been rather commendable when it comes to their holistic defensive record this season in La Liga Santander, having conceded a remarkable total of only 8 goals thus far in the competition.
This number becomes even more impressive when checked in relativity to the amount of games they have already partaken in this season, the tally for that being a massive 23 games.
Yet, there are occasions when Xavi seems to dwindle with his rotations and ends up fielding certain characters that do not necessarily exude the same protective and secure aura that others in their position do. For instance, the defensive rigidity and stability that the likes of Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and even young Alejandro Balde provide are not really matched by those entrusted in their stead.
Case in point: Eric Garcia. The young Spaniard arrived from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 and has since been a rather inconsistent performer for the Catalan outfit, bar the occasional solid cameo that the youngster provides, and has sometimes even been detrimental to the squad’s defensive shape.
His playmaking abilities do indeed warrant their respective praise, but to succeed in a club like Barcelona you need to have something much more than a singular admirable trait.
Statistically as per the report from SPORT, out of the 8 goals that FC Barcelona have conceded this season in La Liga, a massive portion of 5 out of them have been put in the back of the Catalan outfit’s net when Eric Garcia was on the field.
Understandably, one individual can not be credited for every singular mistake made by the team as a collective, but it must be noticed that a certain pattern indefinitely exists. One that Xavi Hernandez should stay vigilant about, and quite possibly maybe even avoid taking any more chances with.
