Xavi Hernández has already directed seven classics as Barça coach, still far from the 42 he played as a player throughout his great career wearing the Barça colors. In these seven games, the Terrassa coach has known both exquisite victories and bitter defeats.
The first would arrive in Saudi Arabia. Xavi had not been managing Barça for even two months. The Barça team was fifth, 15 points behind Madrid, was eliminated from the Champions League in December and already had to play for its first title of the season in the Spanish Super Cup. Barça started with: Ter Stegen in goal, Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Ronald Araújo, Jordi Alba in defense, Busquets, Gavi, De Jong in midfield, and Dembélé, Luuk De Jong and the newcomer Ferran Torres in stroke.
Barça was better. Despite being one of the first games where Xavi's hand could be seen, the game would end with a bitter 2-3 in extra time. The duel was lost, but the feeling in Barcelona fans was very different: you could see a combinative Barça playing good football, so green shoots were seen after a long time in Barça.
Just two months later, Xavi's Barça faced Real Madrid again at the Bernabéu, in a match corresponding to matchday 29 of the League, where Madrid was the leader with 66 points and Barça was third with 51. In that match , Xavi opted for Ter Stegen in goal, Araújo, Piqué, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba in defense, Busquets, Pedri, De Jong in midfield, and Dembélé, Aubameyang and Ferran in attack.
In his first visit as coach to the Santiago Bernabéu, the player from Terrassa achieved a rout (0-4) displaying great football and achieved his fifth consecutive victory thanks to a double from Aubameyang, a goal from Araújo and another from Ferran Torres. After two hard years and after the departure of Messi, that day Barça hit the table by adding to its museum a new historic victory over Real Madrid in its own home.
The third official classic with Xavi on the bench would come hand in hand with a defeat, the first in Chamartín, corresponding to matchday 9 of the last League. Barça arrived undefeated with 7 wins and a draw, but the streak was broken against the whites after losing 3-1. Barça came out with Ter Stegen in goal, Sergi Roberto, Koundé, Eric Garcia, Balde in defense, Busquets, Pedri, De Jong in midfield, and Dembélé, Lewandowski and Raphinha in attack.
It was a match where the whites completely dominated and where Barça was grey. The only goal for the Blaugrana was scored by Ferran Torres.
Barça opened 2023 with the first title of the Xavi era as coach. He would arrive in the final of the Spanish Super Cup providing a football bath to Real Madrid.
In that match, Xavi opted for: Ter Stegen in goal, Ronald Araújo, Joules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Alejandro Balde in defense, Busquets, Pedri, De Jong, Gavi in midfield, and Dembélé with Lewandowski in attack.
Barça dominated the match from start to finish, owning the ball and practically not allowing Madrid to get close to Ter Stegen's goal. The final result would be 3-1, with goals from Lewandowski, Gavi and Pedri. From that day on, the so-called Barça of the midfielders began, with Busquets, De Jong, Pedri and Gavi (the latter starting from the wing) and with the emergence of Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessié coming off the bench throughout the season.
Xavi added his third victory against Madrid in the Copa del Rey, in a match played at the Bernabéu. It was in the first leg of the semifinals, which would be for Barça with the result of 0-1. With significant losses, Xavi came out with: Ter Stegen in goal, Araújo, Koundé, Marcos Alonso, Balde in defense, Busquets, Kessié, De Jong, Gavi in midfield, and Raphinha and Ferran Torres in attack.
In that match, Barça gave up the ball, starring in a true survival exercise, although they defended wonderfully. Madrid did not shoot between the three sticks even once despite giving a lot of danger. Barça, who only finished twice, managed a goal and could have scored the second if Ansu Fati had not inadvertently cleared a shot from Kessié.
Barça and Madrid face each other in Xavi's first classic at the Camp Nou, on matchday 26 of the League. Madrid visited the leader at home, with a difference of 9 points between Barça (65) and Madrid (56). If Barça won, they would put their foot down to win the League. On the contrary, if Madrid won they would be only 6 points behind Barça.
In that game, Xavi bet on: Ter Stegen in goal, Araújo, Koundé, Christensen, Balde in defence, Busquets, S.Roberto, De Jong, Gavi in midfield, and Raphinha and Lewandowski in attack.
Madrid would take the lead with an own goal from Araújo, after a play by Vinícius, but before the first half was over Sergi Roberto tied the score with a shot from the small area. In the final minutes, Asensio would score a goal that, after a long review, the VAR would end up annulling for offside, and in the 95th minute, after a backheel from Lewandowski, Balde put a low ball in the area that Franck would end up taking advantage of. Kessié to unleash madness at the Camp Nou. The Motomami Classic would be won by Barça 2-1, in a match that left the League half doomed.
Not two weeks later, with the hangover still from the league classic, Barça faced Madrid again, this time, in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Barça started with an advantage, having won the first leg (0-1) at the Bernabéu, but it was not the best game for the culés. Vinícius, this time, was superior to his kryptonite, Ronald Araújo, to, together with Benzema, mark the differences and put a 0-4 on the scoreboard of the Barça temple, with a hat-trick from the Frenchman.
That day, Xavi opted for: Ter Stegen in goal, Araújo, Koundé, Alonso, Balde in defense, Busquets, Roberto, Kessié, Gavi in midfield, and Raphinha and Lewandowski in attack. Barça dominated the first half, but before the referee showed the way to the locker room tunnel, Vinícius would score a 'psychological goal' that would leave the Barça players shaken. In the second half, Xavi's men disconnected and let their eternal rival desecrate the Camp Nou, ending with a 0-4 scoreline.
Barça, since Xavi has been coach, has always beaten Madrid when the defense was made up of Araújo, Koundé, Christensen and Balde. This classic will not be able to be repeated since Koundé was injured against Granada.
Ferran Torres is good at classics. The shark has scored 3 goals against Madrid since he arrived at Barça. He scored at 0-4 and at 3-1, both at the Bernabéu, and the same in the preseason of this year. Everything indicates that Xavi will have to count on Ferran for this Saturday, now it will be necessary to see if the shark will bite his favorite victim again.
Ter Stegen has not moved from the sticks. Xavi is clear about who the best goalkeeper in the world is, he has said it several times, and if he plays every game of the season: how can he not play in the most important game of each year? Marc-André has been 7 out of 7 in classics since Xavi has been coach.
Arauúo as a lifeguard against the 'whirlwind' called Vinícius. The two have already shown their admiration for each other several times, but when the match starts they put their friendship aside and a battle worthy of the Roman Colosseum begins. Dribbling, grabbing, sweeping... Vinícius - Araújo has already become a football classic. For the moment, Araújo has been able to stop the Brazilian, we will see if he can do it this Saturday.
