Xavi MUST SOLVE these issues for Real Sociedad in La Liga this weekend!

The BarcaBreakdown discuss the issues FC Barcelona and Xavi are facing after a draw to Rayo Vallecano fell well short of expectations. With the additions of Lewandowski, Raphinha, Christensen (and now Kounde), Xavi needs time to develop Barca. However, some fans are worried about a continuous trend from Xavi’s side, so the BarcaBreakdown tackle the issues he must conquer!

First, we discuss how Ronald Araujo playing as a full back against Rayo did not go well, and our believe that Araujo should only be played there against very threatening wingers. Araujo lacks the ability, like we saw Xavi use with Dani Alves last season, to act as an inverted full back. This role is crucial as it allows the full back to act as a second pivot and help facilitate the ball and draw defenders away from the interiors and wingers. It will be interesting to see if Xavi continues to not believe in Sergino Dest and whether Barca sell him in the next few weeks. Kounde may be a better option at right back, though we will need to see Kounde perform there over the next few weeks to understand if he is a good fit.

One of the revelations from Rayo was that Frenkie De Jong still plays a large role in this FC Barcelona side, even after all of the rumors of his departure have been circling this month.