Back in his midfield days, Xavi’s signature move was turning out of pressure. He would receive with opponents closing around him like a net and spin in a tight little spiral until his markers fell away and the ball zipped forward to discover some team-mate in space. No matter how many times you saw him pull it off there was always a little thrill at the moment of escape, like watching a street magician slip out of handcuffs and produce the key from behind your ear.
The team’s other key midfielders have less traditional Barcelona profiles: is more of a deep-lying dribbler than a quick combination passer; Gavi is a frantic ball of energy whose greatest strengths lie off the ball. Pedri has struggled with injuries during the past few seasons With a less preternaturally gifted midfield up against better high presses than he used to face, Xavi has urged his team to play longer and faster than the Guardiola-era ideal.
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