The Spanish midfielder Gavi at last made his return to the pitch in last night’s match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla. The young La Masia graduate played his first official minutes in this game after a break of 335 days.
Hansi Flick subbed him onto the pitch in the 83rd minute, and the fans warmly welcomed him back with loud applause. Furthermore, the team also fully supported him, as was clear from Pedri’s gesture of giving him the armband as he made his way to the pitch.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the midfielder lived up to the expectations of the fans and his teammates, as he showed his high level of quality even after spending such a long period on the sidelines.
Gavi led the way in some aspects as well, as he did not misplace even one pass of the total eight passes that he made on the night. Thus, he recorded a 100% pass completion rate, which was equaled only by Pau Victor, who had attempted fewer passes than him, 7.
Gavi made 10 interventions in the 11 minutes and 18 seconds he got on the pitch, thus recording an average of slightly less than 1 intervention every minute. Only Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi, who had both started the game, were better than him in this regard.
Gavi also showed his characteristic intensity in the meager time he got on the pitch, as he committed one foul and caused another from Sevilla. This will be a particularly welcome sight for Barcelona fans, as this confirms that the youngster was not having any fears about his fitness despite the long time he has spent on the sidelines.
In addition to these direct contributions on the pitch, Gavi also showcased his leadership ability as he celebrated his team’s goals, especially Pablo Torre’s last one, encouraged his teammates, and adjusted the position of others. With such a good cameo last night, one can expect the midfielder to only improve on this performance going forward.