On January 15, Barça subdued Real Madrid with quality and clarity in the Super Cup and some of its players, such as Ronald Araújo, declared that a new era was beginning. Xavi's team was fresh, dynamic and imaginative. In a word, he flowed, while the white team looked faded and aged. Then Barcelona already ruled the League, but with only three points of rent over Carlo Ancelotti's. Today that distance is seven, more than double. And yet, the sensations are the opposite. The classic of the Cup arrives, the first leg of the semifinals, like a crossroads. Touched by Barcelona, by their last two defeats, the one on Sunday, blushing in Almería, and Madrid grown, despite not knowing how to beat an Atlético with ten in the derby.
Barça has given oxygen to its archenemy in the championship and, although tonight the competition is different, a third slip would only add doubts to the Blaugrana team, depleted of troops, strength and ideas and which has a test before it of resistance. Madrid is a specialist in capturing the opponent's weaknesses, it smells blood, to put it bluntly, and although the Cup is not its competition, it rubs its hands at the possibility of putting Barça in a negative spiral.
For this reason, in the face of bad weather, Xavi wants to offer a speech that mixes optimism with pragmatism, at the same time that he insists on placing the band as favorite for Madrid. It is the first of three classics (this Thursday, on March 19 in the League and on April 5 in the Cup return), and the Barcelona coach demands courage, personality and being faithful to what he has been teaching in his team the season. "It's a very model football game, we have to impose our own, be able to dominate and control situations," Xavi explains.
The idea is to win, there would be more, but above all that the horse does not run away, because in the chaos Barcelona has to lose. He is not there to run from one side to another or to exchange blows. With the notable losses of Lewandowski, Pedri and Dembélé, Barça needs to close ranks. “We have to be more of a team than ever, both in defense and attack, as well as in strategic actions. We have to be very attentive to details”, affirms the technician.
Short of gunpowder, Barça has to multiply the attention on each step it takes. Although the one from Terrassa received the good news of Ansu Fati's recovery, already discharged after overcoming the bruised knee that prevented him from traveling to Almería. It is likely that the striker will start on the bench and the Blaugrana vanguard will be limited to Raphinha and a Ferran Torres who has scored on his two visits to the Bernabeu with the Blaugrana shirt. "I have blind faith in Ferran", Xavi gives him a gift.
Barça will need football and faith because the motivation is supposed to be greater than in Almería. "Playing at the Bernabéu makes me happy", summarizes the Blaugrana coach, who sees the match as an opportunity to react. “If we limit ourselves to watching the last two games, we are in the hospital, but if we look further, my state is euphoric. Last year we were fifteen points behind Madrid”. Soccer always offers a gap.
