FC Barcelona has long been synonymous with the ability to dominate teams in the center of the field.
In its prime, under Pep Guardiola, Barça’s midfield, made up of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, was practically untouchable. It was one of the best midfields ever assembled. Before that, Johan Cruyff’s revolutionary diamond quartet, which often had Guardiola himself as a base, was capable of overwhelming rivals thanks to its idiosyncrasy and dynamism.
Although doubts began to arise about Barça’s effectiveness in midfield at the end of Lionel Messi’s brilliant spell in Catalonia, the club has continued to produce majestic maestro to keep its engine room afloat. After the departure of Iniesta and the departure of Busquets, the club turned to Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong to fill the void.
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All of them have become stars of Barcelona, and the return of Xavi, this time to the bench, has especially helped the Dutchman De Jong. The former Ajax player has become a key piece of the Spanish coach’s project, but an ankle injury will force him to remain sidelined in the coming weeks.
Although losing De Jong before next month’s Clasico is not ideal, the rejuvenation of Barca’s midfield means Xavi has several options.
This is how Barcelona could line up a 4-3-3 in the absence of De Jong…
Under Xavi, the versatile De Jong has demonstrated his ability to play as both an eight and a six. Although many considered the Dutchman as a potential heir to Busquets’ throne, his more advanced profile means that his talent is wasted in a further back position, where he has less freedom.
Consequently, Barça made a move in the summer that perhaps raised some eyebrows by bringing back former Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu. The Spaniard had an excellent season at Girona last season, and the Blaugrana were able to sign him for a modest fee.
Although Romeu may have an unspectacular profile, he is exactly what Barça needs, and Xavi has not hesitated to use him at the start of the season. With De Jong out, options at the base of their midfield are limited and Romeu is expected to receive a big increase in minutes until the Dutchman returns.
Possible lineups:
Gundogan – Romeu – Gavi
Roberto – Romeu – Gundogan
With Romeu providing a stable presence in a holding position, Xavi’s most pressing concerns lie in the number eight position. Currently, he has Ilkay Gundogan, Gavi and Sergi Roberto at his disposal, while he could experiment with Joao Cancelo at some point.
However, he has three veteran options available for two spots. But he needs Pedri.
The young Spaniard is a possession genius. He is very skilled in his movements, beats his opponents with ease and does magic from the left side of the midfield. Injuries, however, have hampered his career since his stellar Euro 2020 campaign for his country, and he is again plagued by a thigh injury at the start of 2023/24.
However, he is expected to return to the fold before De Jong and in time for El Clasico. If Pedri returns with enthusiasm, Xavi will have more room to rotate in the middle of a very busy period for the Catalan club.
Possible lineups:
Gundogan – Romeu – Pedri
Roberto – Romeu – Pedri
Gavi – Romeu – Pedri
Although Romeu is likely to be the holding back in midfield over the coming weeks, Gavi and Gundogan are also candidates to occupy a further back position, especially when Pedri returns to the fold.
Although Pep Guardiola was criticized for using Gundogan in a deeper position in the 2021 Champions League final, the German’s remarkable evolution led him to stand out in a not very different role at various points in the campaign in which the City won the treble.
Gundogan remains a clear threat inside and outside the box, but last season he was often tasked by Guardiola to occupy a deeper position alongside Rodri, while Kevin De Bruyne operated closer to Erling Haaland. The German is a versatile midfielder who will rely on himself to excel in any role…
Possible lineups:
Roberto – Gundogan – Pedri
Roberto – Gundogan – Gavi
Gavi – Gundogan – Pedri
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