Rakitic in 2015. You just had to be there. He will probably never get the recognition he deserves. Had the impossible job of replacing Xavi, scored important goals, and covered for Messi defensively.
Still, there is one fascinating statistic which must be addressed.
Sometimes things happen for a reason.
Barca lost out on Arda Güler. As a consequence of that, Fermín López was given a chance. He took it.
One goal and one assist in El Clasico is incredible no matter the circumstances.
Decisions Xavi got right:
- Kounde should play as a right back.
- Eric Garcia is a valuable squad player.
- Cubarsí, Lamine and Fermin were ready for the first team.
- Raphinha is not a winger, but a second striker.
- Inigo Martinez was a perfect signing for Barca.
More?
Barca & Real Madrid…
The two biggest clubs in the world. But why can one club pay €100m for Bellingham, while the other struggle to sign free agents?
(A Thread looking into the financial situations of the clubs)
- Never complained about lack of playing time
- Always showed great attitude on the pitch
- Scored one of the most important goals of last season: Stoppage time winner vs Real Madrid
No drama. Great player. Solid character. Thank you, Kessie 👏
- Had the impossible job of replacing Xavi
- Allowed Messi freedom by covering for him defensively
- Iconic goal in the Champions League final
- Always turned up against Real Madrid
- Big goals vs teams like Manchester City, Atletico and Tottenham
Rakitic was underrated 🔥
I absolutely love Balde, and I think he is our future left back.
But man, Jordi Alba was treated poorly by many fans towards the end of his Barca career. His output in the final third remained out of this world.
Per 90 minutes he averaged 0.40 expected assists. Balde is
21:08. 8 minutes (approximately) into the Barca game. That’s when my son was born.
That’s why I did not get to talk about the game yesterday. Happy with the win and reaching top of the table. Perfect day.
Can we talk about Jordi Alba and how he broke his own assist record last season (10), scored crucial goals against teams like Atletico, but lost his place to Balde over the summer.
• No complaining
• Supported Balde and his teammates
• Still deciding games when coming on