Barcelona vs Espanyol: The Xavi era begins in earnest
The Catalan giants have a new coach and he makes his 'debut' tonight against their local rivals
Twelve days after being presented as coach, Xavi Hernandez takes charge of his first game. It will be a special occasion, given it’s the Catalan derby, and Xavi is back at Camp Nou. The player with the second most appearances for the club is leading them into this new era and the fans are behind him.
The team is at a low ebb, financially, with injuries etc, but that is in the shadow right now with smiling Xavi the symbol of this new Barca.
Xavi’s challenge is to bring pride back to Barcelona, rekindle hope, fill the stadium and help the fans enjoy watching their team again. The first exam starts at 9pm CET on Saturday night.
It won’t be easy against a tough Espanyol, back in La Liga and doing well. Diego Lopez is strong in goal and Raul de Tomas a lethal predator up front.
Many want to see in Xavi the Pep Guardiola of 2008 when he took over. The squad is nothing like it was then, but the hope is similar; that he can fix a broken team, lacking leadership and reference points and too accustomed to mediocre results.
Xavi promises to create his own team, with Cruyffista ideas. Despite the absences - Pedri, Dembele, Ansu Fati, etc, he guarantees a Barcelona well positioned on the pitch and with desire to attack.
The first XI will be interesting. Nico and Gavi are set to start, Abde could play in attack or even Ilias Akhomach. We’ll see what role Xavi has for the veterans. Pique, Busquets, Alba and Ter Stegen must lead this new project, which sees light tonight under big expectations and hopes.
