Barcelona won their first piece of silverware under Xavi as they comfortably beat Real Madrid 3-1 in the Supercopa de Espana final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Gavi put Barca ahead in the 33rd minute after a slide-rule pass from Robert Lewandowski before returning the favour for the striker, who put his side in full control when he scored himself in the 45th minute.
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Pedri put the finishing touches on the rout when he turned home another fine pass from Gavi in the 69th minute. Karim Benzema scored a consolation goal in stoppage time, but it was nowhere near enough for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Here’s The Athletic’s analysis of a big Clasico win for Barcelona against their fiercest rivals.
Who won the battle for midfield?
The two Clasico coaches often set up their teams in a 4-3-3 shape, but Xavi and Carlo Ancelotti added a fourth midfielder to their XIs for this Supercopa final — and it was Barca who were on top in the battle for possession and territory from the start. Their midfield seemed more compact than in recent Clasicos, helped by Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets working together at the base.
Pedri was also extremely influential from a No 10 position, with Gavi coming in from the left to excellent effect. Meanwhile, Luka Modric struggled to get involved, while Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde were physically imposing but did not retain possession effectively.
The opening goal soon came when Busquets chose his moment to push right up the pitch and take advantage of Antonio Rudiger’s poor pass to rob Camavinga, with Pedri close by to help out, and Gavi over on the left to score.
Barca’s better midfield shape was also clear in the second half, with supposed ‘holder’ Toni Kroos caught out of position and De Jong and Gavi combining to give Lewandowski a relatively simple finish.
Both goals came directly from how Xavi’s team had won the tactical battle. Ancelotti sending on Rodrygo for Camavinga at half-time was both an admission that he got his XI wrong, and that Madrid needed something very different at 0-2 down. They did not find it.
Dermot Corrigan
How did Real’s poor defending lead to Barca’s fast start?
Real Madrid’s defensive instability was evident in the first half. Only Thibaut Courtois and his saves prevented Xavi’s team from scoring more, and they took full advantage of the fact that Rudiger was still dizzy after a knock. The centre-back gave up possession in his own half — perhaps even to Barcelona’s surprise — before Lewandowski coolly set up Gavi for the opening goal.
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But Madrid’s mistakes didn’t stop there. Their press was too uneven, Modric failed to cover Andreas Christensen’s pass out from the back and Kroos also failed to stop Busquets’ pass.
LEWANDOWSKI MAKES IT TWO 😳
Real Madrid are caught out as Gavi puts it on a plate for Robert Lewandowski to double Barcelona’s advantage before half-time!#ElClásico | #SuperSupercopa pic.twitter.com/kxmnjclzSg
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 15, 2023
Dani Carvajal lost his duel with De Jong, who delivered a crucial pass into the heart of the box, and Rudiger was left alone to cover another onslaught from Gavi and Lewandowski. The Barcelona duo swapped roles and Courtois could do little to stop Gavi’s pass to Lewandowski, who virtually turned home into an empty net to make it 2-0. Their defence was also cut apart with ease for Pedri’s effort.
Guillermo Rai
Where has Madrid’s spark gone?
Ancelotti was asked on Saturday whether his players would have 100 per cent motivation for this Supercopa, given how much they have previously won, and everything else they have to play for this season.
“This club is very demanding, these players’ bellies are never full,” the Italian replied, adding that they were fully focused on winning another Supercopa as part of a step-by-step process towards a possible haul of six trophies across 2022-23.
Madrid’s performance did not suggest his players’ focus was complete. Not for the first time recently, their key players looked to be below their top competitive level.
Throughout the game, Barca were just sharper both mentally and physically, winning their individual battles. The difference between the performances of thirtysomethings Kroos and Modric and youngsters Gavi and Pedri was striking, with the latter two teaming up for Barca’s third goal.
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Madrid’s last complete team performance was the 3-1 La Liga Clasico win over Barcelona at the Bernabeu in mid-October. They had 14 wins and two draws in their first 16 games in all competitions. But then the focus seemed to switch slightly to the World Cup, and they have lost four of their last 10 either side of many of their players’ trip to Qatar.
All the disruption to the season is not helping, and on Thursday they have a very tricky Copa del Rey last-16 tie at Villarreal (where they lost in La Liga last weekend). Next month, they have to travel again to Morocco for the Club World Cup, just before their Champions League round-of-16 tie with Liverpool.
Though Benzema contributed a late effort, Ancelotti has a job to do to get his team’s focus back, rapido.
Dermot Corrigan
How impressive was Gavi?
There are not many players who can say they have played five Clasicos at just 18 years of age, but Gavi showed once again he is more than capable on this stage. He was the standout player.
Gavi took full control of the spaces Real Madrid left in behind, he linked up wonderfully with Pedri and Lewandowski and also showed that he can play as a left-winger.
He played a part in all three Barca goals. He scored the first goal after a great link-up with Lewandowski and became the youngest scorer in the Supercopa de Espana’s history, in the process surpassing his own coach Xavi.
2 – @FCBarcelona’s Pablo Gavi 🔴🔵 has become in the youngest player to score in #ElClasico (18y 163d) since Ansu Fati in October 2020 (17y 359d). Present.#SuperSupercopa pic.twitter.com/kAi7VyRueN
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 15, 2023
He also became the youngest player to score in a Clasico (at 18 years and 163 days old) since Ansu Fati in 2020. He assisted Lewandowski’s second goal and Pedri’s third.
The teenager showed a technical flair and a mentality that belied his young age in a game like this, with a trophy at stake and against Barca’s eternal rivals.
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Laia Cervello Herrero
What should Madrid do at right-back now?
Between Carvajal’s poor form and the lack of reliable alternatives at right-back, Real Madrid are having a torrid time this season, and that continued in this Clasico.
Alvaro Odriozola does not figure in Ancelotti’s plans, centre-back Eder Militao did not work out in that position when he played there in the 2-1 defeat to Villarreal and, despite Carvajal still not being at his best, he had no choice but to play.
In other circumstances, Nacho would have played as a starter, but his involvement in the team this year is practically non-existent (he has only played 140 minutes in La Liga).
With all that in mind, and despite the fact that Ousmane Dembele was on the pitch, those who benefitted most were actually midfielders Gavi and Pedri, who had plenty of space to run into. And for Barca’s second and third goals, Xavi’s side could raid Madrid’s right flank to ensure the Supercopa was theirs.
Guillermo Rai
How big a boost is this win for Xavi?
This win was huge for Xavi — for lots of reasons.
Most obviously, the former playmaker now has his first trophy as Barca coach. His first 12 months in charge had brought disappointments: last year’s Supercopa semi-final defeat to Madrid, a Copa del Rey exit to Athletic Bilbao, a Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, and last autumn’s inability to progress through their Champions League group.
But now Xavi can point to a big win, and one in which his own tactical acumen was crucial. Doubts about his game plans, team selections and substitutions had been getting louder around Camp Nou, where some were wondering if the he had the experience and nouse to get the most out of the squad that Barca president Joan Laporta and his board had pulled so many financial levers to assemble.
This is extra important given the club’s still perilous financial position, which means that more difficult transfer decisions will have to be taken, both during this month’s transfer window and in the summer.
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A trophy victory, in a Clasico against Madrid, will significantly strengthen Xavi’s position everywhere — with his players, with his president and with the fans. The Supercopa may not be the most important competition there is, but the manner of the victory makes it more likely that Xavi will be able to follow it with bigger trophies over the months and years to come.
Crucially, the legendary midfielder has put a smile back on the face of even the most sceptical Cule. He has returned Barca to winning ways after a period of change at the club and has enhanced his credibility as coach with this Supercopa victory.
Dermot Corrigan and Laia Cervello Herrero
(Top photo: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
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