Xavi Hernandez has truly resurrected a struggling Barcelona side since his arrival. Coming in as the replacement of previous manager Ronald Koeman in late 2021, the Barcelona head coach has managed to turn the ship around for a lackluster Barcelona team that was unable to compete properly for titles.
The new coach’s philosophies and tactical adjustments have completely evolved Barça. Now a much more dominant team on the field as compared to the one under Ronald Koeman, this iteration of Barcelona is one that has both fans excited and opponents unnerved.
Unbeatable Blaugranas
A huge compliment to this improving side is their current record across all competitions. According to the information provided by Diario AS, FC Barcelona is one of only two teams across the top five European leagues to remain undefeated.
It is only Xavi’s Barcelona and Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen that have yet to taste defeat in any form since the beginning of the official season. Barça has thus far competed in 11 official games this season, winning 8 of them and drawing three. Two victories out of two in the UEFA Champions League and six wins from nine La Liga games is the current Blaugrana record.
Xabi’s impressive Leverkusen
On the other hand, Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga side has thus far played nine games across all competitions. From within these nine games, they have managed to win eight of them while drawing once. They also have two Europa League victories under their belt this season.
In terms of league standings, the German team does edge it out slightly. Xabi’s Bayer Leverkusen is currently top of the German Bundesliga with 19 points to their name. Xavi’s Barcelona is currently third with 21 points, behind Girona and Real Madrid.
Significant triumphs
Both teams are the leaders of their respective Europa League and Champions League groups as well. Moreover, both sides have overcome difficult opponents as well away from home. Leverkusen held Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw away from home while Barcelona managed to overcome Porto with a 1-0 victory at the Estadio de Dragao.
Interestingly, Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso were also direct rivals at a point. Despite both being integral to the Spanish National team, they remained at odds at club level.
With Xavi representing Barcelona and Alonso being with Real Madrid at the height of the Spanish La Liga dominance, the encounters were always intense and may even be now if their respective managed clubs come head to head at some point.