The stats that show how much progress Barca are making under Xavi
Stefan Bienkowski
- 7 Mar 2022 08:55 GMT
- 7 min read
Barcelona continued their impressive start to 2022 this weekend with a combative come back against Elche on Sunday evening.
Despite going a goal down on the stroke of half time, Xavi’s side were able to turn their tide in the second half, with goals from Ferran Torres and Memphis Depay to pick up all three points.
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The result now means that Xavi’s side have not only won their last three league games on the bounce but have actually picked up more points in their last 10 La Liga matches than any other team in Spain.
And, crucially, three more than Real Madrid and five more than Atletico Madrid, as Xavi’s side have undoubtedly started pulling themselves up the league table.
So how well is the fledgling manager doing at Camp Nou and how excited can Barca fans get about Xavi’s record at the club?
Xavi’s overall record at Barca
Since taking over at Barca in late November, Xavi has overseen 21 games at the club and in that time his team have won 11, drawn six and lost just four.
And while that isn’t particularly bad, it means the young manager has a points per game figure of 1.86. Which is actually still some way off where it should be.
For comparison, it’s worth bearing in mind that Ronald Koeman’s overall points per game figure stood at 1.96, while Luis Enrique (2.41), Ernesto Valverde (2.23) and even Quique Setien (2.08) had far higher averages.
However, that figure does somewhat distort the good work Xavi is doing with Barca in the Spanish top flight.
Xavi’s record in La Liga
Much of Xavi’s poor average will be due to poor results in the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup. But when we narrow in on his record in La Liga, it does suggest that the young manager is getting a tune out of his new squad.
For example, from 14 league games to date, Xavi’s side have won nine, drawn four and lost just one game. With notable results such as the 4-2 victory over Atletico and the 4-1 win over Valencia coming in that stretch of games.
And as a result, Xavi’s points per game average in La Liga stands at an impressive 2.21 points per game. Which is not only much better than Koeman’s (1.96) but is also on par with Setien’s (2.21).
Although Xavi still has some way to go before he matches the title-winning averages of Valverde (2.32) or Enrique (2.41), the club’s recent form would suggest that the young manager is on his way.
