A very much depleted but excitingly youthful exuberant Barcelona continued their steady progress under new boss Xavi as they took on Sevilla on Matchday eighteen of the Spanish La Liga, a game which finished 1-1. The Catalan giants lined up in their customary 4-3-3 setup with Xavi favouring a more aggressive, direct and combative approach to their setup in recent seasons. Despite the experience in the Sevilla XI, Xavi’s wonderkids impressively matched a resurgent Sevilla side both with and without the ball.
Barcelona recorded 23 shots (7 shots on target) in comparison to Sevilla’s 5 (one shot on target) highlighting their superiority for the majority of the game despite missing a number of key individuals.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, re-watch
- D – Below average in this match
Gavi
Player profile:
- Nationality: Spanish
- Age: 17
- Date of birth: 05/08/2004
- Current club: FC Barcelona
- Career: FC Barcelona
- Position: Central-Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
There really is no ends to the talents abilities of Barcelona’s prestigious and flawless young midfielder Gavi. The 17-year-old has made the most of all the opportunities he has been given so far this season at Barcelona, and he has gradually become a world-class prodigy.
Just days after scoring a terrific solo goal, recording an impressive assist and putting in yet another show-stopping performance in the 3-2 win over Elche on matchday seventeen, Gavi yet again showed why he is one of Europe’s most decorated young midfield talents battling it out with the likes of Sevilla’s Joan Jordán and Ivan Rakitic and never looking out of place. Lining up alongside Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong within Barcelona’s midfield trident, Gavi continued his stark progression under the tutelage of Xavi.
Despite scoring a rating of 6.89 according to WhoScored, the Spaniard was so efficient in his pressing, harrying and tackling showcasing his impressive combative abilities, whilst also becoming so effective and influential when in possession of the ball. The 17-year-old was central to Barcelona’s attacking play, and the main source of Xavi’s men overpowering Sevilla in the midfield areas.
The La Masia wonderkid recorded 48 touches of the ball with a passing accuracy of just 68%, the lowest amongst Barcelona players who started the game, though its an indication as to the risk-free nature and freedom Xavi has offered him. He recorded 4 dribbles, 2 shots, 2 tackles, an interception and conceded two fouls. Gavi even should have been on the scoresheet had he headed in Abde’s fine cross in the closing minutes of the game, but instead misjudged the flight of the ball and headed wide.
Gavi looked so assured on the ball, and its why he has played the most passes into the final third than any other teenager in Europe’s top five leagues so far this season, a damning statistic considering this is only his first season tasting first team football.
Rating – A2
Abde Ezzalzouli
Player profile:
- Nationality: Moroccan
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 17/12/2001
- Current club: FC Barcelona
- Career: Hércules CF, FC Barcelona
- Position: Winger
- Preferred foot: Right
Another young talent Xavi is placing tremendous faith in is Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli, and is repaying it handsomely with his raw abilities and unpredictability that is providing Barcelona with the spark they so desperately need in attack.
Lining up on the left-flank against Sevilla, with Ousmane Dembele lining up on the right, Abde yet again produced an influential display in attack for Barcelona. An element of Xavi’s preferred style of play is his strong use of wingers staying high and wide in order to stretch and widen the pitch as much as possible. It’s vital to remember that Xavi introduced Abde into his setup because of Barcelona’s lack of wide-forwards in the squad, but the young winger has answered all those issues with such consummate grace.
The Moroccan is a real threat when he is on song, as Sevilla found out on Tuesday night. Whenever the 20-year-old picked up possession, he always looked to get past his man. He produced a superb skill against Lucas Ocampos in the second-half that truly highlighted his unpredictability, pace, and raw dribbling skills.
Like Gavi, the forward was flawless without the ball pushing and pressing high whenever Sevilla tried to build from the back. Abde was rewarded with a WhoScored rating of 7.47, and rightly so. Everything good about Barcelona came through the Moroccan. Abde successfully completed 2 dribbles, 2 key passes, recorded 56 touches, produced seven total tackles, conceding four fouls and was even booked for his over-exuberance in the second-half.
However, Xavi will have again been pleased with Abde’s performance, whenever he needed to drop back and defend the space in front of Jordi Alba, he did, diffusing the threat of Lucas Ocampos but also pinning back Jules Kounde who filled in at right-back.
Rating – A1
The Moroccan could have ended the game with a goal and assist on another day, but can once again be proud of the impressive progress he is making in his maiden season as a Barcelona first team player.
Ronald Araújo
Player profile:
- Nationality: Uruguayan
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 07/03/1999
- Current club: FC Barcelona
- Career: Rentistas, Boston River, FC Barcelona
- Position: Centre-Back, Right-Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Ronald Araújo is fast becoming a one of Xavi’s most reliable and improved players under his stewardship, and so it proved against Sevilla, scoring the all-important equaliser. Traditionally a centre-back, but lining up in Seville at right-back once again, Araújo was solid and assured in defence.
Agile, swift, powerful, combative and a defender with such growing character and leadership in the Barca back-line, the 22-year-old has arguably been Barcelona’s player of the season so far. The Uruguayan’s reading of the game against Sevilla was brilliant, stepping out and engaging his opponents but also providing width on the right-flank whenever Ousmane Dembele operated in the half-spaces.
Araujo’s attacking instincts have proven as effective as he is in defence, and so it proved through his towering header to give Barcelona the equaliser. Rising head and shoulders above Fernando in the penalty area to head home Dembele’s in-swinging corner. Despite not playing in his natural position at centre-back, Araujo has filled in well at right-back keeping both Sergino Dest and Segio Roberto on the sidelines. He was named man of the match against Sevilla, continuing his fine progression and maturity under Xavi.
Araújo will of course be disappointed with the way Sevilla opened the scoring as the Barcelona defence were easily caught out from a smart corner routine which Papu Gomez dispatched superbly, but the blame won’t be placed solely on his shoulders as he more than made up for it in his all-round game on the night.
Rating – A2
65 touches, 3 aerial duels won owing to his impressive presence and abilities in the air, 1 key pass, 45 attempted passes and 2 interceptions with a final rating of 7.90, Araújo is steadily becoming a key individual in Barcelona’s first XI.
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