Xavi Calls for ‘Quarterbacks’ at San Mamés: The Blueprint for Breaking Athletic Bilbao

Xavi Hernández has a clear game plan to cause trouble for Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés. Drawing parallels with the recent clash against Getafe, the Barcelona coach has emphasized a particular aspect to his players in the last few hours. Terrassa’s native believes the ‘lions’ will press high, requiring the Blaugrana to exploit depth more than ever.

In the recent encounter against José Bordalás’ Getafe at Montjuïc, Barcelona dismantled the Madrid-based team by playing balls into space. Brave in his approach, Getafe’s coach pressed very high, placing the defensive line practically in the middle of the field. The Blaugrana capitalized on this scenario, with Kounde sending a long ball to Raphinha for the 1-0; Christensen breaking into space in a 30-meter sprint. For the 3-0, again Raphinha received a through ball, setting up De Jong’s goal, and in the 4-0, a very similar play with Vitor Roque as the protagonist – and Fermín as the goal scorer.

In a long and clean week, perfect for preparing the clash at San Mamés, Xavi’s instructions to his players, especially defenders and midfielders, have been to consistently lift their heads upon receiving the ball to check for the opportunity to play a long pass. “We must be more vertical,” admitted the Terrassa-born coach in the pre-match press conference.

Lifted heads, more than ever Xavi is certain that, just like with Lamine in the Copa del Rey match, there will be plenty of spaces behind the Basque defense this Sunday. Hence, the Terrassa-born coach wants, after two to three short combinations, to look for breaks into space. Not only from the wingers – whether one or two – but also from midfielders appearing from the second line. This last request applies mainly to Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Gündogan, although the latter probably lacks a bit in pace.

In other words, the Barcelona coach wants his ‘quarterbacks’ ready to act at San Mamés. The squad boasts quality passers into space, with Cancelo, Íñigo Martínez, Cubarsí, and even Frenkie and Gündogan proficient in long passes. Furthermore, others like Kounde or Araujo, less specialized in this aspect, have been improving in recent weeks.

Objective: Reduce the risk of turnovers Another reason why Xavi expects his team to be more vertical in Bilbao is that Valverde’s side presses intensely and effectively. Therefore, if Barcelona attempts to play more long balls after two to three short combinations, it will reduce the risks of losing possession in the opponent’s half, a situation that Athletic Bilbao exploits perfectly for counterattacks.