Barcelona Star Becoming a Headache for Xavi Hernandez Amidst Catalans’ Quest for Balance
Barcelona’s season has seen fluctuations in mood, from a disappointing start to moments of excitement, exhaustion, and frustration, As the crucial part of the season approaches and injured players return, Xavi Hernandez faces important decisions regarding his team lineup, Joao Felix is attracting attention for his lack of goals, but another challenge lies in balancing the presence of Joao Cancelo within the team.
Last season, Xavi achieved a sense of balance, albeit not spectacular, with three central defenders and Alejandro Balde providing support from the left flank, However, with Cancelo in the mix, Barcelona has appeared imbalanced, apart from a few standout performances.
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According to MD, both Balde and Cancelo struggle to unleash their full potential while maintaining defensive stability, Against Real Madrid, Xavi’s three-at-the-back formation successfully controlled the midfield, but it proved disastrous against Real Sociedad, Barcelona lacked possession, limiting Balde’s ability to make forward runs, and Cancelo was ineffective on the right, both in attack and defense.
The three-at-the-back formation allows both players to move forward, but without forwards occupying defenders, it gave the opposition full-backs the opportunity to push forward, further unbalancing Barcelona’s attack, Xavi must find a way to optimize their abilities simultaneously by perfecting this system or exploring alternatives, Alternatively, he may have to consider sacrificing one of them, Currently, the team’s equilibrium has been compromised.
