Exquisite skill from the Catalan midfielder who left the Valencia man stranded with a lovely back heeled nutmeg.
Xavi put in a great performance against Valencia with 115 successful passes (96% accuracy) and winning possession back five times.
Midfielder Xavi Hernández was one of the best players in Barça’s 1-0 win over Valencia at the Stadium on Sunday night, with another exhibition of controlled, first touch football to dictate the rhythm of the game with his trademark leadership. The Catalan maestro converted 96% of his attempted passes to record 115 successful passes, as well as recovering possession five times and receiving five fouls.
“It’s just another footballer’s tool”
But more than all those impressive stats, the fans who were at the Camp Nou on Sunday will surely always remember a single piece of brilliance from the Catalan. On 22 minutes, Xavi was being pressured close to the line by the Valencia player Guardado who was right behind him. Xavi then played a superb back heeled nutmeg to relieve the pressure, explaining after the game: “I just saw that he had his legs apart – I was in an unusual position and I needed to do something and it came off. It’s just another footballer’s tool”.