Xavi Criticises Real Madrid and Atletico for 'Small Team' Mentality
Barcelona icon Xavi has accused Real Madrid of playing like a “small team” when they played against Barca in the April Clasico, and he has also taken a swipe at Atletico Madrid’s style.
Los Blancos won the match 2-1 thanks to a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal, prompting a poor run of form from the Blaugrana.
Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t Daniel Sanford of the MailOnline) about the game, Xavi, who left Barca last summer, revealed he wasn’t impressed by the way in which Real approached the contest:
"Real Madrid played like a small team in the Clasico at Camp Nou.
A big team like Barcelona should not be playing like Atletico Madrid. Big teams like Barcelona and Madrid should always stick to their own style. You cannot start playing like Atletico.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone perfectly sets his team up to counter their opponents' strengths, but I don't like to see teams who shut up shop at the back.
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The 2-1 win for Real Madrid came as a surprise, as Barcelona had been flying prior to the clash at the Camp Nou.
Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane set his team up in a compact shape on the night, as they sought to tease Barcelona forward and exploit tired legs on the counter-attack. It was a game plan that worked to perfection, too, as even with 10 men they were able to rally in the latter stages and spring a win.
Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror provided details of the plan Zidane deployed on the night, sharing his tactical notes:
Not only have Barcelona lost to Real lately, they were also dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by a determined Atletico team 3-2 on aggregate. Simeone’s side are well placed to make through to the final, too, as they hold a 1-0 advantage at the halfway point in their tie with Bayern Munich.
In the quarter-final, Atletico were better organised, more hard-working and more tenacious than the Catalan giants, and even with such attacking luxuries at their disposal, the Blaugrana were unable to break down Simeone’s men in the second leg at the Vicente Calderon.
Although Xavi isn’t a fan, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher commented on how much he enjoys watching Atletico’s brand of football:
To suggest Real should play in “their own style” is a little peculiar from Xavi. After all, Los Blancos at their best in this era have been a devastating counter-attacking team, utilising the qualities of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. That’s exactly how they played in the Camp Nou, yet when they opened the game up at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier in the season, they lost 4-0.
Atletico, meanwhile, will relish cheap shots like the one from Xavi. Simeone’s side have been forged on an ability to fluster illustrious names and upset the odds. And while the pure form of football that Xavi’s Barcelona played is wonderful to sample, like in any walk of life, there are different tastes to cater for.
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