Having been humiliated 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup Final last weekend and now placing at fourth in the Spanish La Liga, Xavi’s managerial career at Spanish giants Barcelona was on the line. It was reported that the 43-year-old was only given two to three games to save his tenure at the Catalan Giants, with one of those matches being a Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash against Unionistas de Salamanca CF at Campo de Futbol Reina Sofía last night.
Xavi’s managerial career at the club he used to play at was almost ended with the home team taking the lead in the first half, but three goals from his men were able to get things done and secure a comeback win for the Blaugrana.
Barca Survived First-Half Deficit to Save Xavi’s Managerial Career
Deflated by their Spanish Super Cup loss to Carlo Ancelotti’s side, the first of the following games that could determine the future of Xavi’s managerial career at Barcelona had the visitors fall behind moments after the half hour mark. The hosts, who are playing in the third-tiered league of Spanish top-flight fooball, the Primera Federación, drew first blood following Álvaro Gómez’s effort. The 26-year-old Spanish winger received a wonderful delivery by Juan Antonio Serrano Llabrés from the left flank, and he would produce one of the cleanest volleys you will ever see to beat Iñaki Peña Sotorres for the opener. Gómez’s strike fired up the entire stadium as home fans roared to celebrate the precious goal.
Worried that another poor result might put a halt to Xavi’s managerial career at Barcelona, the Catalan Giants levelled things up just before the added time was given in the opening half. Ex-Manchester City man Ferran Torres was unleashed by his teammate off a Unionistas de Salamanca CF’s corner, and the Spanish forward ran half of the pitch towards the home side’s goal, followed by a decent finish that went after young goalkeeper Iván Martínez Marqués to the bottom left corner.
Xavi’s managerial career at the Blaugrana took another fortunate turn in the second 45 minutes, when two goals in quick succession from two defenders gave the team the lead as well as the secured victory at the end of the match. French centre-back Jules Koundé, who only scored once this entire 2023/2024 Season, carefully assessed the situation and scored a long-ranged wonder outside the penalty box in the 69th minute for Barca’s first lead of the game and a chance to resurrect Xavi’s managerial career at the Spanish football powerhouses.
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Xavi’s Managerial Career at the Catalan Giants to Be Extended
The Frenchman Koundé’s defensive partner Alejandro Balde then made sure Barca would get their tickets in the Copa del Rey Quarterfinals, when he received the ball at the left wing, before beating everybody from the opposing side and netted his team’s third of the evening from an impossible angle. The goal meant Xavi’s managerial career at the club is secured at the moment, and the Catalan Giants will have another shot at domestic cup glory in the 2023/2024 Season with their 3-1 come-from-behind victory over a much lower ranked side in Unionistas de Salamanca CF at enemy’s territory.
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Alejandro Balde scores a great goal to give Barcelona the 3-1 lead against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa Del Rey. ⚽️🇪🇸
Jules Kounde has a goal and now an assist in this match. 🪄🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/XZ7Gpr1loO
— LaLigaExtra (@LaLigaExtra) January 18, 2024
Xavi: “Unionistas Are a Very Good Team.”
Xavi’s managerial career is safe now with the team’s hard-fought victory over a third-tiered side in the Spanish football league system. Here was what he had to say during the post-match conference: “I think that at times we have played very well and at times we have to play better. Sometimes, I despair because we do not do the right thing. We have had mistakes due to a lack of aggressiveness. But we have come back. We are under construction, we have to create more, we have to understand the situations better. They are very young players, but we gained confidence and morale. We must congratulate Unionistas, they have done an extraordinary job.”
The former Barca player also added on his team’s approach to last night’s game and in recent times. “We have not convinced because the rival is a very good team, they have made it difficult for us and were very well prepared by their coach. I took off João Félix to put in Pedri and Gündoğan, two pure midfielders. We wanted them to play passes in behind through the middle. I’m not leaving Salamanca worried. I’m leaving with a very good feeling. We haven’t convinced because Unionistas are a very good team and they’ve worked very well. Congrats to them, they are really good for a third-division side,” said Xavi.
In the other Copa del Rey Round of 16 game, Barcelona’s archrivals Real Madrid were avenged and defeated by their nemeses from the same city Atlético Madrid in a 4-2 extra-time shown down at the latter’s home of Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, Madrid. The win meant Diego Simeone’s men have revenged for their 5-3 defeat in the Supercopa de España Semifinal loss to Los Blancos, and they have regained the lead in their head-to-head record in the 2023/2024 Season, having beaten them 3-1 in the league at the same venue as yesterday back in September 2023. Click here for the full story of this 235th El Derbi Madrileño.
