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5 months ago
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When Barcelona announced their starting XI for the game against Deportivo Alaves last night, there was a surprise in store as Xavi had opted to field Andreas Christensen in the defensive midfield position.
The possibility of using Christensen in the pivot position has been talked about in the past, with the player having some experience in the role. But until last night, Xavi had refrained from pulling the trigger on such a move.
Xavi and staff impressed by Christensen
As per Toni Juanmarti of SPORT, Xavi and his coaching staff were impressed by what they saw from Christensen as a pivot during Barcelona’s win against Alaves.
As such, they are now considering deploying the Danish international as a defensive midfielder more often moving forward, especially with Pau Cubarsi emerging as a reliable option in the centre-back department.
Christensen’s role against Alaves was clear, to shield his defence well and allow the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Ilkay Gundogan more freedom to venture forward in attack, which he did very well on the night.
The former Chelsea star’s work was not eye-catching but it was very effective.
Christensen as a pivot more often? (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)What did Xavi say?
Speaking after the game, Xavi acknowledged that Christensen is a viable option in the No. 6 role moving forward, although he refrained from committing to using the Dane there regularly.
“I’m happy with Christensen. He will give us discipline there, but because of his technical ability, he can play in the pivot position,” said the Barcelona manager.
“I liked Christensen in the pivot position. With the ball, he can be very smooth, and he told me that he is comfortable, and this is an option that we are considering,” he added.
With Oriol Romeu no longer being favoured and Gundogan excelling in a more attacking role, the option of using Christensen as a No. 6 could gain strength in the weeks to come.
