Coming out of the international break, the big question was how Xavi and Barcelona would replace the heart and soul of their team.
The fighting force of young Gavi helped paper over the cracks, allowing Barca to win games early on that they probably didn’t deserve to win, based on team performance alone.
But with one man down, Xavi also had an opportunity, with the return of Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri recovering his form after extended time away.
The truth is, Xavi had to get it right in this game. The calendar doesn’t get any easier from here, and Barcelona has already experienced a drop in confidence.