Xavi The dynamics of substitutions in recent games have changed. He is new villarrealthe technician boat he managed just two, the lowest number in 32 official matches played so far. This is not a one-time decision but a downward trend that reaffirms his trust in a certain block of players.
From the first meeting before the Vallecano Ray, in August 2022, until the match against Ceutacorresponding to Copa del Rey, in January of 2023, Xavi almost always used five substitutions, in 20 of 26 games. but there has been a radical change since the match against Getafe. It was the first of the next five out of six games where changes were not rushed.
in front of the group Quique Sanchez Floresthe coach made only four changes (Christensen, Balde, Raphinha and Sergi Roberto). In the next two the decision was repeated. Four against Real Sociedad in the Cup (Pedri, Balde, Dembélé and Christensen) and in the League against Girona (Dembélé, Marcos Alonso, Balde and Raphinha). Against Betis the number was reduced to three (Raphinha, Gavi and Pedri), he returned to five against Sevilla but due to Busquets’ injury (Busi, Araujo, Gavi, Alba and Raphinha) and at La Cerámica they reached both (Raphinha and Kessie).
The reason, interpreted in Barça, is the bet of a block of players. And in these five last five meetings, Xavi He chose the same lineup with some slight adjustments, playing with four midfielders. Only against Girona he acted in the usual 4-3-3. The confidence in the reduced squad of players is, therefore, evident.
An eleven formed by: Ter Stegen, Koundé, Araujo, Christensen, Alba or Balde; Busquets, Dejong, Pedri. Gavi; Dembélé or Raphinha and Lewandowski.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
