Xavi’s Long Ball Push: Inigo Martinez’s Imminent Return Could Be the Missing Piece

Xavi’s distinctive touchline instructions have become a familiar soundtrack during Barcelona games, often heard encouraging his centre-backs to send more long balls into the opposition half. However, in the recent Las Palmas clash, this directive extended to the midfielders, showcasing the coach’s tactical adjustments for beating the opposition’s high back line.

Frenkie de Jong, in particular, stood out, creating two significant chances through precise long balls. Despite the success in the midfield, there were challenges with the defenders. Xavi had to vocalize his desire for them to take more risks on the ball, a directive that yielded improvements in the second half when a more aggressive approach was needed for the comeback.

While the full-time stats revealed a mixed bag, with Andreas Christensen completing 5 of his 7 long balls, Ronald Araujo faced challenges, finishing the game with just 2 successful attempts out of 11.

The imminent return of Inigo Martinez could be a game-changer. One of the primary reasons Barcelona signed him was his impressive long-ball ability. In terms of successful long balls per 90 minutes, Inigo stands out with 8.23, compared to Kounde’s 5.92, Araujo’s 5.91, and Christensen’s 4.54.

Beyond distribution, Inigo also leads in goal-creating actions per 90 minutes among centre-backs, with 0.38, against Christensen’s 0.13, Araujo’s 0.07, and Kounde’s 0.06. His return promises not only to strengthen the defense, as he was the most in-form centre-back pre-injury, but also to enhance Barcelona’s attacking prowess.