In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Barcelona easily defeated Real Madrid 3-1 to claim the Spanish Super Cup, their first victory under head coach Xavi Hernandez.
Gavi, a young player who scored himself and assisted goals for Robert Lewandowski and Pedri Gonzalez, led the Catalans to one of their best performances in years.
Xavi left Barca in November 2021 after enjoying great success as a player there. After a summer of lavish investment, this convincing victory is a sign that his project is headed in the right direction.
For Madrid, who have not played at their best since the World Cup break and who last weekend slipped three points behind Barcelona in La Liga, Karim Benzema scored a late consolation goal.
Los Blancos gave up the trophy they won last year to Barcelona, who have now won the Super Cup a record 14 times. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti experienced his first loss in a final since 2014.
Sergio Busquets, the captain of Barca, told Movistar, “We knew it was a chance we had to take.” “We have gone through a period of changes at the club and in the dressing room, and this will reinforce us to keep pushing for more titles.”
“You know how (Gavi) competes; he’s young; most guys his age would be on the youth squad, yet he’s playing at an exceptional level, dishing out assists and scoring goals.”
He still has a bright future and plenty of room for growth. I hope he ushers in a new era in Barcelona.
The 18-year-old Gavi, who had a nominal starting position on the left but frequently gave Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal the slip, was one of the four central midfielders that Xavi strategically deployed.
When Aurelien Tchouameni was injured, Toni Kroos was forced to play as Madrid’s deepest midfielder, and he was outran.
Lewandowski’s low shot was deflected against the post by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the opening minutes, and Benzema’s header nearly missed the mark.
When Busquets applied good pressure in response to an errant pass from Antonio Rudiger, which led to Lewandowski feeding Gavi, who comfortably scored, Barcelona broke the scoreless tie.
Before Lewandowski set up Gavi, whose deft run evaded defenders, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele exchanged quick passes.
For the second, Gavi switched roles, catching De Jong’s pass and slipping the ball across for Lewandowski to finish expertly.
The highlight of Xavi’s tenure as manager up until this point had been the Catalans’ 4-0 victory over Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu the previous season, which was brought back by the team’s dominance.
AFP
