PSG coach Luis Enrique does not have a high opinion of Barça’s ‘Barça football’. “Last week Ter Stegen broke the record for kicking long balls.” Luis Enrique is in danger of being portrayed as a naive dreamer. Tonight it will become clear in the Champions League whether the pure Barça DNA is still up to date.
LOOK. A spectacular 2-3: that’s how the first match went
The sun shines over Barcelona. 20 degrees, the perceived temperature is even higher.
It is busy on Avenida Parel-lel, which ends in Plaza España, from where you turn left towards the hill of Montjuïc. From the bar ‘Trofeo’ Lady Gaga sounds: ‘The Edge of Glory’. There are a striking number of young people sitting on tables at high tables – tourists in Barça shirts. You sniffle the hope.
Nothing is as fragile as the reality of football. Today’s truth is tomorrow’s lie. Until the first leg in this quarter-final of the Champions League, FC Barcelona lived under skepticism. No money, no stadium, no trainer. A spectacular 2-3 victory later and suddenly Barça counts again. ‘Montjuïc’ is suddenly an iconic place, Xavi is considering staying on, and the news is going around that Barcelona wants to make two ‘big’ transfers this summer.
Life as it is in an institution like FC Barcelona: everything is black or white, gray does not exist.
The Montjuïc stadium is suddenly an iconic place again. © Photo News
Xavi afterwards called the victory in the Parc des Princes ‘a reference match, the match we needed.’ After all, Barcelona lost the Clásico at home earlier this season, then the Clásico in Saudi Arabia, and stumbled over opponents like Antwerp in between. It means that both inside and outside the club there was a bit of pity about Barcelona. Xavi then announced his retirement at the end of January at the end of the season.
LOOK. Xavi on guard: “Luis Enrique’s teams always attack”
In order to salvage what could be salvaged from this campaign, Xavi gradually distanced himself from the Barça DNA. Football became more vertical, more opportunistic. PSG coach Luis Enrique also noted this when he was asked before the first leg in Paris whether Xavi brings more ‘Barça football’ than he did at the time. The answer was sharp: “It is enough to look at the data. The possession of the ball, the number of players in the opponent’s box…: the answer is very clear.”
The next day, Barcelona beat PSG with just 41% ball possession, the lowest figure since Xavi became coach in November 2021.
And so Luis Enrique went one step further at his press conference yesterday: “In the first leg, Ter Stegen broke the record for kicking long balls: 24.”
With which he wanted to indicate that Barcelona no longer even makes an effort to build from the back.
Barça has become ‘different’.
But perhaps Xavi is simply less naive than Luis Enrique. Even their respective guru, Pep Guardiola, gave up some possession last season in his desire for international success – read ‘a Champions League trophy’. Real Madrid never hovers above 60% ball possession even against Spanish low-flyers. Luis Enrique may carry the title of ‘guardian of the Barça DNA’, but it will be worse for PSG, Nasser Al Khelaïfi, and Qatar tonight if they are eliminated.
LOOK. Luis Enrique: “We deserved at least a draw”
“It will be a copy of the first leg,” Luis Enrique predicted yesterday, indicating that he did not want to compromise on his football principles.
The result tonight will tell us whether Johan Cruijff’s philosophy — ‘If we have the ball, the other one doesn’t’ — will still yield results in 2024.
It is clearly no longer necessary for Xavi.
Luis Enrique is convinced he is the last of the Mohicans.
© ANP / EPA
Madrid is watching: why there is more at stake for Mbappé against Barcelona than just the sporting aspect
Barcelona wins a true spectacle match in Paris: Raphinha is crowned match winner thanks to great assists
Pedri: “PSG will want to recover”
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss anything from the stars.
Yes, I want free unlimited access
2024-04-16 12:50:00
#Barcelona #PSG #Cruijffs #philosophy #yield #returns #Champions #League
