92% accurate passes, 3 ground duels won: 20-year-old Barcelona player worked his socks off against Real Valladolid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona played out a tricky 2-1 win against Real Valladolid that turned out to be a much more difficult game than many people envisioned it to be. Of course, Flick’s rotations did not help the cause, but it had to be done.

The Catalan club has an important game against Inter Milan in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League, and Flick needed to prioritize getting his players some much-needed rest ahead of the game at the San Siro.

What this meant, though, was that some players who are not regular starters got an opportunity, and one name who really caught the eye was Gavi. The 20-year-old Spaniard played around 80 minutes against Valladolid and put in a display that personified him.

As seen by stats from Sofascore and acknowledged by anyone who watched the game, Gavi worked his socks off against Real Valladolid, playing in a double pivot alongside Pedri in the first half and slightly more advanced ahead of Frenkie de Jong in the second.

Left everything on the field!

Gavi played 79 minutes on the night, registering an xG of 0.02 and an xA of 0.11. He completed 72 out of 78 attempted passes with an impressive accuracy of 92%, and this included one key pass. He was adept at controlling the tempo of the game in possession.

Gavi was at his tenacious best against Real Valladolid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

It is out of possession, though, that Gavi’s biggest strengths are highlighted, and he won 3/4 ground duels and 1/4 aerial duels on the night. His tenacity often ensured that Barcelona stopped Valladolid counterattacks at source.

Gavi also attempted 2 tackles and performed 1 interception. The 20-year-old looked completely sapped when he was taken off after going to the ground, and it was later revealed that the Spaniard was fine and hadn’t suffered an injury.

Mature and Disciplined performance from Gavi

Most importantly, Gavi knew he was at the risk of receiving his 5th yellow of the season, which would have seen him miss the Real Madrid game next weekend, and he managed to put in a mature, disciplined display to ensure that the same did not happen.

Although he might not be a starter at this point, Gavi’s value off the bench cannot be understated in helping close out games, and Flick will be hoping to call on his services against Inter Milan midweek and Real Madrid next weekend.