Gaudí used to say that to do things well you need first love, second, technique. In Xavi's Barcelona, the two points of the Catalan architect fit perfectly: love, identity and passion characterise Barça; encouragement, the constant evolution of technique and the good treatment of the ball make up the squad's system.
Xavi, so far, is doing things right. The very hard blow suffered in the Champions League is history. Barcelona are top of LaLiga. They have only lost one game (though it was El Clásico) and hope to extend the positive statistics that took them back to the top of the competition against Atletico Madrid.
Without Robert Lewandowski (34), the Culé coaching staff face an immense challenge. The Catalans are heavily reliant on the striker's performances. The Pole has scored almost 40 percent of the Blaugrana's goals this season. His absence will be noticeable and, at that point, Xavi needs to show that his team has the conditions to position itself as a candidate to win the title in the summer.
Barcelona arrive at the matchday 16 of LaLiga with an urgent need for silverware. The last trophy to land at Camp Nou was the Copa del Rey in the 2021-2022 season. Lionel Messi (35) played a pivotal role in Ronald Koeman's extravagant squad back then. Sometimes with a line of 5... Sometimes with a 4-4-2. The Dutchman's Barca did not have a fixed eleven. It was an exercise in constant trial and error.
Xavi, unlike Koeman, has been characterised by orchestrating a classic system that is the foundation of the Culé DNA. The 4-3-3 is the basis of the team. The backbone. Three forwards, three midfielders, four defenders. Simple play. Total football. Those ideas that Johan Cruyff promoted are palpable in the Catalan's idea.
The man from Terrassa focused the Blaugrana attacking bases on Lewandowski. The Pole fulfils several functions: he is a pivot, claims long crosses, generates space, etc. Without him, Ansu Fati (20) is called upon to take the reins of the offensive zone. Ousmane Dembélé (25) and Ferran Torres (22) emerge as alternatives to make up for the loss of the former Bayern Munich star.
While up front there are doubts, the defence shows signs of stability. Ronald Araujo (23) and Eric Garcia (21) are available. The back line looks set. The midfield trident of Sergio Busquets (34), Pedri (20) and Gavi (18) is fixed, as is the goal, which will be guarded by Marc André Ter-Stegen (30). The German was the captain in the New Year's Eve derby.
Defence as a starting point
If Barcelona have doubts about their attacking front line, Atletico Madrid have no such doubts. The Colchoneros are going through a difficult time. Joao Felix (23), the boy who arrived for more than 100 million euros at the Metropolitano, is on the exit ramp. Even a loan move could hasten his bizarre departure from the Spanish capital.
Atlético usually plays with a 4-4-2 formation. In recent times, however, Simeone has made inroads into a 3-4-2-1 formation, looking to make the most of the space offered by a wide, possession-based opponent like Barca.
Simeone has not built a single system for Atlético de Madrid 2022-2023. In some games, two strikers emerge. In others, Álvaro Morata (29) is promoted as a lone number nine
Despite the uncertainty, the Portuguese attacker Felix is part of Diego Simeone's core, who lost Mateus Cunha, a recent signing from Julen Lopetegui's Wolverhampton, in December.
Champions return
The question marks surrounding the Colchonero attack are overshadowed by the availability of Angel Correa (27). The striker could return to the starting line-up as could compatriots Rodrigo De Paul (28) and Nahuel Molina (24).
The world champions return to LaLiga in an essential game. Atletico have an obligation to win. The dismal start forces the squad to row against the tide and to look for a light in the second half of the campaign that will bring them closer to the Champions League places.
Griezmann, the different player
Without the figure of Lewandowski ahead of him, Griezmann (31) is the difference making player of the match. The Frenchman is up against a team in which he had a very bad time. Undervalued, he ended up returning to the Metropolitano, which thanks him for his decision match by match.
Griezmann's first half of the season in LaLiga was fantastic. The player also stood out in the French national team. Didier Deschamps modified his role: he placed him as a midfielder and, in some stretches of the game, as a winger. At Atlético, he is back in his usual position and, together with Joao Félix, he is in charge of moving the ball in the defence-attack transitions that stand out so much in the tidy system of the Colchoneros.
Will Griezmann and Joao Felix be able to crack the defence, will Barcelona miss Lewandowski, and will their Fati be the leader Barça need?
These doubts will be answered on Sunday in an exciting LaLiga matchday.
