Whether or not it is all the way down to the ceaseless calls for of their expectant fanbase or the inflexible necessities of La Liga’s accountants, Barcelona can’t afford a season of transition.
The membership could also be shifting away from their house for the primary time in six many years and filling yawning chasms left by the departure of a number of hulking figures, together with captain Sergio Busquets and the enigmatic winger Ousmane Dembele, however Xavi Hernandez’s process stays unchanged; win all of it.
After a La Liga opener towards Getafe on Sunday evening, here is what lies forward for Barcelona within the coming marketing campaign.
It is secure to say that Xavi sees the sport differently to Cadiz’s head coach Sergio. Barcelona’s boss is open about his obsession with possession. “It is clear to me my workforce has to regulate the ball,” he as soon as stated, “I endure after I don’t have it.”
No workforce in La Liga tried fewer passes than Cadiz final season. Barcelona will definitely dominate the ball for his or her first aggressive fixture at their new house in Montjuic subsequent Sunday, however will they put it within the internet? (Most likely.)
Quique Setien is one other possession addict, preaching from the altar of Johan Cruyff with such enthusiasm that he talked his method into briefly changing into Barcelona supervisor in 2020.
Unai Emery’s substitute at Villarreal final time period earned only one level fewer than Actual Madrid throughout his 27 league video games in cost. After dropping two star forwards within the type of Nicolas Jackson (to Chelsea) and Samu Chukwueze (AC Milan), it stays to be seen if the Yellow Submarine can rediscover their type.
Barcelona journey to Osasuna’s famed El Sadar stadium simply three days after the second leg of their Europa Convention League play-off.
Final season’s shock bundle in seventh place and in addition reached the Copa del Rey closing – the place they have been crushed by Real Madrid. Barcelona may encounter a workforce driving excessive as they embark upon their first group stage of a European competitors since 2006/07.
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Actual Betis have been a weird anomaly final season; regardless of committing the second-fewest fouls in La Liga, Manuel Pellegrini’s facet collected a league-high 15 crimson playing cards.
In each of Betis’ matches with Barcelona final time period, the Seville outfit ended the competition with simply ten gamers. Xavi’s facet, by comparability, recorded extra fouls than Betis however solely obtained six crimson playing cards.
Xavi loved exceptional success within the Champions League as a participant however has repeatedly come unstuck within the competitors throughout his embryonic managerial profession.
After consecutive group-stage exits, Barcelona merely should advance to the knockout phases. Successful La Liga ensures that the Catalans are in Pot 1 for the draw and so keep away from another European champion. Nevertheless, Xavi may nonetheless come up towards one among Manchester United, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Porto or Arsenal.
Gabri Veiga was already a target for quite a few European golf equipment earlier than he single-handedly hauled Celta Vigo to security on the ultimate day of the La Liga season in June.
Two Veiga targets towards the freshly topped league champions have been sufficient to earn Celta three treasured factors and safe the membership’s top-flight standing for another season. Veiga might have declared his love for Celta on the closing whistle that day however few anticipated him to stay round after the summer season.
Veiga began the primary match of the season on Celta’s bench however might not nonetheless be a part of the membership by the point they journey to Catalonia in September after the switch window has closed.
|
Date / Kick-off time (BST) |
Fixture |
|---|---|
|
20/08/2023 – 18:30 |
Barcelona vs Cadiz |
|
27/08/2023 – 16:30 |
Villarreal vs Barcelona |
|
03/09/2023 – 20:00 |
Osasuna vs Barcelona |
|
16-17/09/2023 – TBC |
Barcelona vs Actual Betis |
|
19-20/09/2023 – TBC |
Barcelona vs TBC |
|
23-24/09/2023 – TBC |
Barcelona vs Celta Vigo |
On this week’s version of Talking Transfers, a part of the 90min podcast community, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth, Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to debate the ever-changing Moises Caicedo saga, Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern Munich and extra!Â
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