Is the lack of 'stickiness' the tip of the iceberg? The big problems of Xavi's Barça

Xavi Hernández centred his self-criticism after the tie of the FC Barcelona against Valencia (1-1) in the little efficiency of the leading culé. Certainly, the fault of hit follow costing him points to the Barcelona group, but also there are other problems that the team drags from the beginning of the season that the technical body follows without being able to resolve. The most worrisome is that, if Girona and Real Madrid win his parties, the Barça will close the day 17 to 9 and 7 points of the first and second place, respectively.

In this sense, the evils culés split from the bottom. The team already has fit 19 goals in League this season, one less than in all the 2022/23 to fault of two dates to close the first turn. The defensive solidity was key to ensure the title when the team showed the already usual problems to convert (the Barça grasped to the 'unocerismo' in good part of the second turn), but the defence of the 23/24 does not seem in at all to the one of the past year, although, in names, now there is more depth and quality with the incorporations of Iñigo Martínez and Joao Cancel.

The team follows going in slept to the parties

One of the main problems of the Barça in the first turn of LaLiga has been to concede goals tempraneros. In front of Valencia, a paradón of Iñaki Crag to Roman Yaremchuk avoided that Valencia advanced before fulfilling the minute 3, something that already sucedió in front of Granada and Alavés. This season, the Barcelona group has begun down in the marker in six parties of League, of which only could win two (Celtic and Alavés).

The rotations have not braked the defensive bloodletting

In front of Valencia, Xavi returned to Cancel to his natural position (the right band) and, with this, Alejandro Balde was to title after two consecutive days like acting. The egarense also went back to trust the pair Araújo-Koundé like head offices after the problems of the Frenchman in the right-handed side, but the team could not keep his arch in zero by fourth occasion in the last five days ligueras.

The team seemed to have found the defensive balance in the duel against the Athletic (1-0). Nevertheless, the defeats in front of Girona and Amberes exposed the worst expensive of a saga that follows showing cracks and where, for the time being, the only indisputable seem to be Ronald Araújo, although I Cancel follows playing always by League. In spite of the rotations, the Barça follows giving a lot of eases backwards and the numbers (25 goals fit in 23 official parties between League and Champions) like this show it.

The Barça follows without finding solution to the place of pivote

In spite of the big party of Frenkie of Jong in front of Valencia, is clear that good part of the defensive problems of the Barça root in not having a '5' born. The team is used to to give a lot of spaces when the rivals contraatacan to the not having an able footballer to guarantee recovery and fast exit. Of Jong and Gündogan have done a big effort to alternate in the mark, but is evident that, without a reliable pivote, the Barça suffers a lot against any rival.