Club legend Xavi capped off his stint as Barcelona manager on a winning note on Sunday night (May 26), as his team claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Sevilla. Thanks to their victory on Matchday 38 of the 2023-24 La Liga season, second-placed Barcelona gained two points on league winners Real Madrid, finishing 10 points behind them in the rankings.
Robert Lewandowski & Fermin Lopez Seal Barcelona Win At Sevilla
Barcelona players were eager to give Xavi the best send-off possible on Sunday, and the intent was there for all to see. Just two minutes in, Pedri stole the ball away from Sevilla, dashed toward the byline, and cut the ball back for Lamine Yamal. The teenager dispatched a fine drive, but his shot was straight at Sevilla center-back Kike Salas, who made a fine block to fizzle out the danger.
The goal arrived 13 minutes later, as Robert Lewandowski showcased his world-class off-the-ball movement. The Polish striker slid behind the defense to meet Joao Cancelo’s fine cross at the back post. Then, from point-blank range, Lewandowski dispatched an impeccable header to find the bottom-left corner.
Sevilla restored parity in the 31st minute, thanks to a brilliant bit of play by Boubakary Soumare. Soumare outsmarted Andreas Christensen and played a low pass to Youssef En-Nesyri toward the left post. The striker then applied a fine finish to find the back of the net.
Sevilla created a few more goalscoring opportunities, but Fermin Lopez ensured Xavi was not disappointed on his last outing. In the 59th minute, the youngster received the ball from Ilkay Gundogan, steadied himself, and found the bottom-left corner with a fine strike from outside the area. After the goal, Lopez ran straight to Xavi on the touchline, celebrating the goal with his manager.
Xavi’s Barca Spell Ends Abruptly
Just a month after announcing Xavi will continue as manager, Barcelona have decided to relieve him from his responsibilities. According to reports, Xavi’s press conference ahead of the game against Almeria angered Barca president Joan Laporta. In the presser, Xavi said Barcelona were not on the same economic level as Real Madrid and asked fans to manage expectations.
Things moved quickly after the conference. In a matter of days, Xavi’s departure became official and Hansi Flick emerged as a front-runner to become his successor. Barcelona have not yet confirmed the former Bayern Munich manager as their new boss, but many believe the deal is done.
Xavi came on board as Barcelona manager in November 2021. In the following 32 months, he oversaw 142 matches, guiding Barcelona to 90 wins, 23 draws, and 29 defeats. He took Barca to the La Liga title and the Supercopa de Espana in the 2022-23 season.
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