Before the start of this round of the national derby, Barca had already faced Real Madrid in five consecutive defeats in all competitions. Watching their nemesis firmly occupy the top of the table and advance to the top 8 in the Champions League, Barca people's hearts are definitely not very bad. Although this round of duels is an away game, the Barça generals must be holding their breath and vowing to end this wave of disgraceful records. From the platoon deployment, harvey's determination to win can also be seen.
Before the game, the media such as The World Sports newspaper also predicted Barca's starting lineup, and the result was only 1 position different from Xavi's deployment. At right-back, Xavi made a cameo appearance for Araujo and did not let Alves start as speculated, which was very targeted.
After Benzema's injury, Real Madrid's attack mainly relied on Vinicius on the left. Veteran Alves is still defensive, but the speed and confrontation can no longer keep up with the Brazilian little brother. Although Tall, Araujo was not slow, and he was physically superior. If this ring is pressed, Real Madrid's attack is pinched seven inches.
Sure enough, with Araujo's targeted defense and the co-defense of his teammates, Vinicius did not have much room to perform and played very depressed. There were only 2 shots on goal, 42 passes, only 18 in place, and only 2 dribbles that he was best at. Completely inferior in terms of confrontation, 8 confrontations were successful in 3 times, 16 times lost the ball, and after the game, he scored a low score of 6.4 points.
Real Madrid's attack could not be opened, and Barca's side completely played the pass-control football that Xavi wanted. They have a firm grip on the ball, the players work together, and almost every attack hits the third zone, creating a threat. In the whole game, Barca hit the target 10 times with 18 shots on goal, including 17 shots in the penalty area, which was really amazing! To be honest, if it weren't for Courtois' 6 key saves, Real Madrid would have conceded more than 4 goals.
In addition, Xavi's Barcelona has shown stability unlike in the past. They don't suddenly collapse in the second half or at some point, they control the scene from beginning to end, and they don't give Real Madrid a glimmer of hope of winning. Barca had a possession rate of about 60% in the first and second halves, all of which were 9 shots and 5 shots. And Real Madrid can't open the battle, not even a decent counterattack. It is no exaggeration to say that in this national derby, Barca have won both overall and individual performances, and a 4-0 game is reasonable.
After winning the number one nemesis, Barca have gone unbeaten in 12 consecutive matches in all competitions under Xavi (9 wins and 3 draws), scoring 4 goals in 6 games, 2 of which are against Atletico and Real Madrid, which is more convincing. A total of 32 goals were scored, averaging nearly 3 goals per game, conceding only 10 goals, and averaging less than 1 goal per game.
After the game, Barca fans breathed a sigh of relief, and the hatred that had been suppressed in their hearts for 3 years disappeared overnight. Over the past few years, Barca have fallen into the abyss. With an aging squad and young people in a slump, Barca's future is plunged into endless darkness after the departure of Camp Nou's King Messi. At the critical moment, the man who carried the glory of the "Dream Team" returned as the head coach, he was regarded as the "savior", and eventually became the "savior". After a short run-in period, Xavi turned the tide of the tide and helped the summer fall, allowing the indebted Barça to embark on the fast track of revival in the most cost-effective way.
From Cruyff to Rijkaard, to Guardiola, To Enrique, and now Xavi has taken over the baton, and this inheritance is really wonderful, as if it will only appear in Barcelona. Judging from the performance of the player era, Xavi will certainly not lose to Guardiola, and the expectations of the outside world for him will certainly not be low. Maybe he won't lead Barca to glory as quickly as Guardiola did, but we have reason to expect a new dynasty to be born in his hands.
"We are Barcelona, the miracle starts today, we will never give up, and we will return the king!"