Barcelona gains stability with Christensen as center half

Xavi does not stop thinking about the Barça lineup.

He has not found a stable formation due to injuries and the difficult fit of some signings with irregular performance such as Jõao Félix or Cancelo.

With Lamine Yamal strengthened up front in the absence of Raphinha, the defense has welcomed the arrival of youngsters Pau Cubarsí and Héctor Fort.

The latest development in any case is Christensen's position: the Dane stopped playing as a center back to play as a center half against Alavés.

The coach recovers a key figure in the broken game mechanics since Busquets left for Miami.

“It is going to give us order and discipline,” argued Xavi.

“He didn't lose the ball, he was aggressive and, furthermore, he felt comfortable,” the coach continued.

“We had to avoid counterattacks,” he insisted to later focus on Christensen's character: “He is very competitive, he wins duels and because of his technical ability he can work” in a demarcation that has not had a permanent player once Oriol Romeu fell of the lineup after a good start to the season alongside De Jong.

Eric García's alternative disappeared with his move to Girona.

The presence of Christensen as a defensive pivot evokes the times when the starter was Edmilson or Márquez and even Yaya Touré until Guardiola opted for Busquets.

The former Spanish international was not only able to sublimate the center half position in Barcelona but also knew how to mix with Xabi Alonso in the midfield line of the team led by Del Bosque.

Xavi also opted to play with two players at the base of the square: Busquets and De Jong.

The Catalan's goodbye forced them to look for a replacement and the coach was unable to sign Zubimendi or Kimmich.

The bet was Oriol Romeu.

The former Girona player is no longer a starter and usually only appears in the final stages of matches, especially when the score is favorable, as happened in Mendizorroza.

Xavi has also tried with Sergi Roberto, Gündogan, De Jong and Pedri.

He has not found a good solution because he has often moved creative players away from the finishing zone, from the last pass or from connecting with Lewandowski.

Christensen's presence, on the contrary, pushed and favored Gündogan's football, author of a goal (he has five) and an assist (he now has nine) against Alavés.

The Dane's alignment in the division also means gaining a fourth midfielder, a formula that usually works well for Barça, especially when the forward line does not press, as has happened when Lewandowski, Raphinha and João Félix formed.

Injuries to Raphinha and Ferran have left the offense in the hands of Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and sometimes Vitor Roque.

The team needs to be more compact to counteract its lack of withdrawal and defensive intensity, repetitive in concessions, also evident against Alavés.

“He plays very well inside,” Xavi explains about Christensen.

The Dane is a reliable player - his passing accuracy in Mendizorroza was 89.6% - because he has good technique and is tactically receptive while he does not exactly excel in agility or depth, not very gifted at receiving, turning around and playing facing the opposite field, a luck that Busquets also dominated.

There is no player equal or similar to the midfielder who is playing with Messi again today.

The ball delivery, however, has improved significantly with a center back of the quality of Pau Cubarsí and will progress even further with the return of Iñigo Martínez.

Barça has raffled the ball a lot with Araujo's long movements.

Around Christensen, or a classic midfielder, it is easier for the team to come together, reduce losses and be able to concede fewer goals (30), a task in which the imminent return of Ter Stegen will also notice.

The sensations improved in any case in Mendizorroza.

The Blaugrana felt more secure due to better occupation of the field and were especially precise in their shots at Sivera's goal.

The challenge is to gain stability in the interwar matches with a view to the appointment with Naples and the big events of the League.

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