Tactics
Barcelona's midfield: Elite but still far from complete
A midfield trident of Pedri, De Jong and Gundogan is great on paper, but incomplete in practise.
Pedri
Review
Barca - Atleti: What changed? Or did it?
Barcelona showed their true and rather vintage colours against Atletico Madrid. So what changed?
Review
Barca-Rayo: A frustrating outing with some silver linings?
Expectations weren't high among Barca fans for the Rayo fixture, given Xavi has never really beaten them in his coaching tenure. But, for most parts of this game, Barca seemed a bit more fluid and reactive
Opinion
Barcelona's floor is (still) way too low
Barcelona's system cannot enhance the individuals. Iit can’t make them become more than they are on their own.
Opinion
How deep (and good) is Barcelona's squad actually?
Crippled with debt, Barca's squad is suboptimal and they will face face far more obstacles in the near future.
Tactics
Robbed of the ball and their identity but still alive and victorious
Xavi’s approach was transition heavy, prioritising natural and direct wingers on either flank for quick turnarounds, exploiting space and providing width
Review
Taming the Chaos: Making sense of Barcelona's madness against Real Sociedad
Xavi still needs time to finesse his style, but this was a good example of his adjusting tactically as the game grew
Profile
Pedri & Gavi: Co-existing in Xavi's jigsaw
Pedri is the more advanced and offensive while Gavi is the ball retainer and progressor