When the draw for the Europa League paired Barcelona against Manchester United, there was no shortage of voices that highlighted the physical superiority of the English, who began to link victories, now without Cristiano Ronaldo in the team. The red devils, third behind Arsenal and City, are an intense team, with a high pace, rushing and attacks by chance. Perhaps for this reason, Barcelona seemed like a Premier team in Vila-real. Xavi is modernizing the blaugrana game, giving it a lot of intensity.
The coach's idea is to improve the competitiveness of a team that had shown itself to be weak at some key moments last year. The man from Egar has had a great influence on the collective spirit and ambition of his players. And Barcelona has responded to the demand made. He is the leader of the League with 56 points and has linked a streak of 16 games without losing, the last eight with victory. Up to 16 footballers have seen the door in 32 games, so the danger is not a monopoly of the forward.
Now that impulse must be transferred to Europe, to United and to Old Trafford, where the blaugrana have been receiving important blows for years. From Liverpool, Rome or Lisbon via Eintracht in Frankfurt.
Barça will always be a touch team but now they show that they have confidence and self-esteem, that they know how to go strong when split balls are thrown and they don't mind crashing. That can match the power of United. That he does not lack a pick and a shovel in his ideology.
The best test came at the La Cerámica stadium where Xavi's players won no less than 58 individual duels against Villarreal. In the first half, this is how Barça was able to impose their high pressure. In the second, when Setién's team wanted to force the machine, they were able to withstand the stake.
Barcelona, after the summer signings, has a bunch of players with character, experience in other countries and the ability to prevail in melee. With Lewandowski, Christensen, Koundé, Kessié or Raphinha, Barça increased its power.
But few footballers enjoy a game with a lot of one against one more than Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder put on his boots at La Cerámica with 16 recoveries (his average is six) and 8 duels won. In addition, he tried and achieved three dribbles.
Another footballer who is an insurance in the art of body is Ronald Araújo. The Uruguayan is a wonder and has a superior competitive gene. He took nine duels (four aerial) and made three tackles, plus a last-man cut.
Lewandowski is capable of fighting with the central defenders and getting away with it, as he demonstrated with 6 victories, 2 above. There, in aerial balls, Koundé was also impressive: three out of four.
But they are not alone. The great leap is that less accustomed footballers have also adopted hunger and that conviction to go to the clash as their own. That speaks both of the physical preparation to be up to par and of the desire to take the ball. Balde won five duels, one less than Gavi and Pedri. Between the two interiors they went to the ground five times successfully in divided balls. It's not the style but this Barça is also good at pulling out the claws and claws.
