“We have to be one of the teams with the worst finishing in Europe. I am very frustrated today,” Xavi lashed out at the press conference after Barcelona’s draw against Valencia.
The manager was right, and the truth was a bitter pill to swallow. On the night at Mestalla, the Catalans missed an astonishing five big chances and had to adjust with a 1-1 result against a team that did not create any big chances.
Yet, that has been the theme for a long time now. Fingers have been pointed at the injuries, the broken defence and the imbalanced midfield, but Barcelona have created chances in abundance. Their finishing rate, however, languishes at just under 11%.
The homemade solution
Robert Lewandowski, as Xavi’s only striker in the first team, has enjoyed a monopoly of the highest level in recent months. Unpunished for his glaringly slack performances in front of goal, his contributions have only deteriorated with every passing game.
Vitor Roque will arrive to join Xavi’s force in the coming weeks. Yet, La Masia, as it always has, once again has coughed up a solution – Marc Guiu.
The manager has not exploited the academy hero’s services as much as he should have in recent weeks. But if performances and results are any criteria in selection, Guiu has made a strong case to get more first-team minutes.
In just 120 minutes on the field for Barcelona, the youngster has scored thrice with an average of a goal every 40 minutes. Lewandowski, meanwhile, averages a goal every 161 minutes in La Liga and has underperformed his xG by a staggering 3.6.
Three goals of class
What makes the La Masia starlet’s profile even more special than the mere numbers is the quality he has shown on the field. All three goals Guiu has scored, after all, boast of a different skill set.
His first goal, which he scored on his debut against Athletic Club, showed a keen understanding of positioning, the right injection of pace, and a calm finish to lob the ball into the back of the net.
His second contribution arrived in Barcelona’s 3-2 defeat to Royal Antwerp earlier this month on his UCL debut. Coming off the bench once again, the 17-year-old headed a late equaliser for the team before they conceded a winner minutes later.
Playing in the team’s friendly against Club America most recently, he showed great intuition to make a perfectly timed run past the defence and get on the end of Hector Fort’s cross.
Takeaway
Xavi is in dire need of an effective presence in the middle of the field. After all, his team has been paying a serious price in recent outings owing to the inefficient finishing.
The patience with Lewandowski is close to running out, and Xavi and Barcelona may have a solution in Guiu to their attacking inefficiency.
Considering that Roque’s incorporation into the team will be gradual, Xavi can thus utilise Guiu in tandem with the Brazilian starlet come January. Nurturing two talents in a position of jeopardy is after all in the team’s best interest.
