Xavi’s Tactical Blunder: L’Equipe Points Fingers at Suicidal Tactics in Barcelona’s Super Cup Defeat

While Xavi attributes Barcelona’s heavy defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final to Real Madrid’s counter-attacking prowess, French publication L’Equipe places the blame squarely on the Barcelona manager’s shoulders. Accusing Xavi of employing “suicidal tactics” despite being well-aware of the opponent’s strengths, L’Equipe criticizes the gaffer’s strategic choices.

The publication states, “Real Madrid dismantled a Barca who were weighed down by their defensive errors and Xavi’s suicidal tactics.” It points out that Xavi’s directive for the team to defend high backfired, with the speed of Rodrygo and Vinicius exploiting the porous defensive set-up. Vinicius, in particular, scored a hat-trick, making Xavi pay dearly for the chosen game plan.

Highlighting specific instances, L’Equipe notes, “It only took ten minutes for the former Flamengo player to score a double. In the 7th minute, he had already taken advantage of the bad positioning by Jules Kounde to have a free run at goal and score.”

The first-half performance of Barcelona, marred by defensive mistakes, allowed Real Madrid to capitalize and secure a 3-1 lead by halftime, ultimately winning the game 4-1 and clinching the trophy from Barcelona. The article delves into the critique of Xavi’s tactical decisions and their impact on the Super Cup final outcome.