Xavi Hernandez Again Demonstrated Expert In-Game Management At FC Barcelona With This Change

Xavi Hernandez once again demonstrated excellent in-game management with the changes he made during FC Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 win away at Levante in La Liga on Sunday evening.

Despite them giving away three penalties, Luuk de Jong’s last-gasp header deep into stoppage time meant that the Blaugrana managed to achieve their first triumph at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia since 2018 during the rein of Ernesto Valverde.

Barca have had four coaches since then too, but it was once again an astute change from Xavi Hernandez, his second in four days, that turned the balance of the fixture on its head when the chips were down.

On Thursday, against Eintracht Frankfurt in a fervent Deutsche Bank Park, the Catalans were also losing 1-0 in their Europa League quarter-final first league clash.

In the second half, Xavi then brought on Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong who reversed the Blaugrana’s fortunes and started the move that saw Ferran Torres equalize. Because of this, Barca now go into the return leg at Camp Nou this week with the balance even, and with a completely different frame of mind than had they still been trailing.

This cameo was enough for the pair to start last night. But again with Barca 1-0 behind and Levante about to fire a second penalty that was missed, Xavi measured how he could extend Barca’s 14-game unbeaten streak to 15 and introduced Pedri and Gavi.

In no time, the pair combined to find Dembele who then notched his 11th assist of the season to match Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed home his cross.

Just four minutes later, Gavi then went on a sensational slalom run on Dembele’s right wing and picked out Pedri to slot home his third goal in five games as Barca completed their comeback.

Unfortunately a third penalty for Levante meant that the hosts settled the score, but Luuk de Jong’s bullet header at the death meant that Barca went home with three points.

“We put in a huge effort, we didn’t play well in the first half though,” Xavi noted after. “We have to be self-critical. We were better in the second half and we have Luuk and [Marc Andre] ter Stegen making the difference.”

“[These are] three golden points to stay in the fight, we’re still second and we can’t slip up. Without playing well, we won,” the coach concluded.

But it is thanks to his astute in-game management that Barca still have a puncher’s chance in La Liga and remain favorites on the continent.