Barcelona have been so difficult to predict this season that few would have seen Sunday night coming.
But Xavi’s side outplayed Atletico Madrid for a 3-0 win that inflicted a first home defeat of the campaign on Diego Simeone’s side. It was as humiliating for the locals as it was invigorating for Barca.
“We completed one of our best performances this term,” the manager said. “It’s not easy to come to this stadium and win like we did. For us, this is a moment to dream. We don’t rule out anything for the rest of the season.”
The momentum created after two impressive wins over Napoli and Atletico might have arrived a bit late for Barca to realistically fight for the league title. Real Madrid, who won 4-2 at Osasuna on Saturday, seem unlikely to waste their eight-point lead.
However, it certainly gives Barcelona hope as they look forward to their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain in April.
At any other moment this season, Barcelona would not have stood a chance. Now the team has given fans reason to believe and they deserve extra credit for doing so despite being significantly depleted.
Xavi already knew Gavi, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres would be absent for the Atletico game, but he was also without Joao Cancelo (who didn’t travel due to personal reasons) and Andreas Christensen was injured in the warm-up.
This is a very different side to what Xavi might have envisioned at the start of the year. Three of his starters on Sunday night (Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort and Fermin Lopez) weren’t even playing professional football last season.
Barcelona’s manager has had to reprogramme his team and multiple players who seemed out of the plan are delivering their best at the most crucial time of the campaign.
“There is a progression in every player,” Xavi said on Sunday night. “If we look at individuals, everyone has been outstanding. All our players want to give their best.”
Among all those individuals, Cubarsi deserves special mention — again.
The 17-year-old centre-back put in a masterful performance for the third match running. His dominance against Alvaro Morata, Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann was frightening. He made six clearances, blocked two shots, won all of his aerial duels and ended the match with a 95 per cent passing accuracy. He won’t leave Xavi’s starting XI any time soon.
GO DEEPER
Cubarsi called up to Spain squad for first time
Another stand-out name of the week is Lopez. He was criticised after an erratic display at Athletic Bilbao at the start of the month, but Xavi has kept faith in the 20-year-old, knowing the team desperately needs his skill set in the absence of Pedri and Gavi.
If Ilkay Gundogan can’t play as an attacking midfielder, there is no one left in the squad who can operate in internal pockets as well as Lopez. He might lack precision at times, but he compensates for it with aggression, intensity and a willingness to learn. He knows when to crash the box and partners Robert Lewandowski in the first line of pressing excellently.
Lopez only started against Atletico because of Christensen’s injury, but his confidence was far from damaged and last night he ended a brilliant week with another goal, adding to the one he scored against Napoli in the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Sergi Roberto, who vindicated himself as a super sub against the Italians, also stepped up again to remind everyone of the true value of La Masia. Now 32, he might not be the most talented individual to have played in Barcelona’s midfield, but you will be hard-pressed to find a footballer who better understands the club’s philosophy and positional game. He and Gundogan, partnered in holding midfield, totally controlled the match.
And another special mention has to go to Hector Fort, a 17-year-old right-back who completed the best game of his short professional career as an emergency left-back. Last night was his seventh Barca appearance.
“He was brilliant even playing out of position,” Xavi said. “Hector is a guy with a great physique and he does not make things complicated. He is also hungry to succeed and that’s very important to us right now.”
Lewandowski has scored seven goals in his past nine Barca games (Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)
The truth is, though, probably none of Barcelona’s supporting cast would have shined in this way if the main actors weren’t at their best.
Lewandowski is the best example. With one goal and two assists on Sunday, Xavi said the Polish striker put in “arguably his finest performance since he has been wearing our shirt”.
The manager added: “Atletico made it very difficult for us to progress with the ball, we expected it and prepared the game to create superiority in the build-up thanks to Robert.
“The day before the game, we focused on training to find him during build-up to then make him enable the wingers and the second line with Fermin. He was key and played so well. He was outstanding.”
Lewandowski has now had 10 goal involvements in his past nine Barca appearances — scoring seven and assisting three.
“What’s changed? I think training sessions are a bit different, more intense right now, and we are better prepared physically. I also feel better,” the 35-year-old said on Sunday.
And there should also be praise (again) for Gundogan, who expertly ignited the moves for two of Barca’s three goals in Madrid. The 33-year-old, the team’s most-used member in terms of minutes, has every right to be considered their player of the season.
Playing at his parent club, Joao Felix scored the opener, Raphinha delivered an assist, while Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo looked colossal in defence, with Atletico only registering their first shot on target after 51 minutes — once they were two goals down.
“How did we make this change despite not having some big names? Well, our idea of playing remains the same and it’s working out,” Xavi said.
“The Barcelona DNA, Cruyffism… name it how you please, but when everything goes to plan, it just feels so good.”
(Top photo: Diego Souto/Getty Images)
