Xavi vs. Koeman: The definitive comparison between the two coaches

While the group directed by Xavi Hernández seems to reach the performance expected by the míster of Terrassa, the comparisons with his predecessor, Ronald Koeman, are unavoidable. Although the difference between the quantity of parties directed by both trainers in the FC Barcelona is remarkable, the journalist Julio Maldonado, better known as 'Maldini', encouraged to compare the performance of the Barça with his two last technicians.

The Dutch directed 72 parties between September of 2020 and October of 2021, while the Spanish has directed 26 parties from his debut in November to date. Because of the remarkable difference of parties contested, the Barça of Koeman registered a better average goleador that the one of Xavi until the moment, since with the ex technician of the selection of the Páises Low the culés annotated 2.1 goals by party, while with the technician egarense the average goes down to 1.96 so many each 90 minutes.

In spite of the difference of 46 parties directed between each one, can say that both teams promedian 2 goals by party, with the exception that in the majority of parties directed by Koeman the Barça still had the contribution goleador of Leo Messi. In played of goal average by game also is very parejo (8 against 9), while in the percentage of tarpaulin the culés have better average with Xavi that with Koeman (25% against 23%).

In shots and shots to goal by party the parity also is remarkable (14 against 15; 5.3 against 6), whereas the ones of Xavi promedian 13 faults by game, against 10 of the ones of Koeman. One of the most remarkable appearances analysed by Maldini has to see with the quantity of go through party. With the míster tulip, the blaugranas promediaban 738 go through game with a precision of 90%. With the one of Terrassa, the Barça promedia 587 go through each 90 minutes, with a percentage of tarpaulin of 88%.

Forcefulness and verticality, the key of the new Barça

The ones of Xavi also execute more centres (14 against 11) with an identical percentage of tarpaulin (27%) and an estimated of 3.7 effective centres by party against 3.1 of the ones of Koeman. In 26 parties, Xavi Hernández has changed him the face to the FC Barcelona with a more offensive proposal in which the possession of the balloon keeps on being vital, but even more is it the intensity in the high pressure and the mobility of his players to occupy spaces and drown to the rival.

Clearly, the reinforcements also have had a transcendental impact in the explosion goleadora of the new Barça, that in alone 26 parties practically has equalised the performance that Ronald Koeman reached with the team in 72 parties. The comparative will earn greater felt when the technician egarense equalise to his colleague in the quantity of parties directed, but the analysis of Maldini helps to dimensionar the performance reached by the culés in the last weeks, topped with the exhibition of the Sunday in Santiago Bernabéu.