Gavi is one of the most promising young talents in world football and caught the eye of many at a young age. He made it to Barcelona’s first team in his teenage years and is now a regular in the squad under the management of Xavi. Things were going in the right direction for the 19-year-old until he received a major injury blow during the recent international break. While in action for Spain, Gavi tore his ACL and suffered a cruciate ligament injury. This means that the midfielder will miss the rest of the season and even the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024.
An injury to a key midfielder will be a major setback for the club. Xavi already has a depleted squad due to injuries, and Barcelona’s financial condition is not allowing him to bring in players. Gavi’s work rate in the field was one of the reasons why he was rated so highly. Let’s take a look at what the Spanish manager will miss while Gavi is out with an injury.
High-work rate
Gavi is a box-to-box midfielder and is there to do all the dirty work for the team. Before his injury, the 19-year-old midfielder featured in 15 games for the Spanish club. The above defensive territory shows how the player has covered a lot of areas on the field. Gavi contests around 25.5 duels per 90 minutes, and his duels win rate is 50%. He is also doing the dirty work and gives away around 2.75 fouls per 90 minutes. The Spanish midfielder usually marks the playmaker of the opposition team, and Xavi will need a new player in this similar role for the rest of the season.
The above viz compares the percentile rank of Gavi with other left-centre midfielders in Tier 1 of league football. Gavi’s positioning and defensive abilities make him one of the top-rated players in football. His ability to read the game makes him a future superstar of the game.
Turning defence into attack
Players like Gavi usually stay close to the opposition player and manage to steal the ball on occasion. This often allows the team to create a counter-attack or carry the ball in the attacking half. The Spanish midfielder made three progressive runs per 90 minutes and completed 72% of his dribble in the current season. This is a very high success rate and shows his ability on the field.
Adding to this is Gavi’s ability to keep hold of the ball and deliver accurate passes. The Spanish midfielder attempts 44.35 passes and his accuracy rate is 92%.
Gavi has also managed to score a couple of goals in the current season. He often found space inside the opposition penalty box and made full use of the space he got in these crucial areas.
The 19-year-old will be a big miss for Barcelona and the Spanish national team. His work rate and intelligence make him one of the top-rated footballers in the world currently. Xavi will look for other options and hope that Barcelona defend the LaLiga title.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine