Xavi: 'Gundogan has Barca's DNA'
"Gundogan is the foundation of the team," said coach Xavi. "He has Barca's DNA. He never loses control, makes the difference and always makes the right decisions. We signed Gundogan to make the difference."
According to coach Xavi, last season Barca lacked depth and final passes. But now, he and the players have solved this weakness. "With Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi, Fermin and Oriol Romeu, it's different," the Spaniard added.
After the opening match of La Liga with Getafe 0-0, Barca found joy with a 2-0 victory over Cadiz in the second round on August 20. It was Gundogan who created Pedri to open the scoring in the 82nd minute, with a flick of the ball into the penalty area. After clearing the mentality, the defending La Liga champion fixed the victory in the 90+4 minute, with a goal from Ferran Torres.
Gundogan joined Barca on a free form from the beginning of July. Before that, the 32-year-old midfielder refused to extend his contract with Man City. According to Gundogan, Barca is the team he has always wanted to join since he was a boy.
Last season, Gundogan was a mainstay in the English team's treble-winning journey. In the FA Cup final victory over Man Utd 2-1, the 32-year-old midfielder scored both goals. He played 304 games in total, scored 60 goals, won five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two Super Cups and a Champions League with Man City.
This summer, Barca continues to have to deal with financial difficulties left from the time of former president Josep Bartomeu. They just spent $ 3.8 million to buy defensive midfielder Romeu. Gundogan and Inigo Martinez are both free to join. Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, Barca sold Ousmane Dembele, Franck Kessie, Nico Gonzalez and Alex Collado for $80 million. In the near future, the defending La Liga champions can borrow right-back Joao Cancelo from Man City with an option to buy.
After two rounds of La Liga 2023-2024, Barca is ranked sixth with four points. Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia are occupying the top three places, with the same six points. Last season, Real Madrid finished second and were 10 points behind Barca.
