Can Ilkay Gundogan Fire Barca to a Second Successive La Liga Title?
When you win a league title, it’s commonly felt that you have a target on your back the next season – everybody wants to knock you off your perch.
That’s not a feeling FC Barcelona have known since their last La Liga triumph in 2019, but they will head into the 2023/24 campaign looking to defend the championship they won by a handsome ten-point margin last term.
And they will have to handle the pressure of being defending champions without Sergio Busquets, the rock in midfield who allowed other more creative types around him to fully express themselves.
Can new signing Ilkay Gundogan successfully fill the void left behind by Busquets’ departure?
City Slicker
To understand the quality that Gundogan will bring to the Catalan region, you first have to realise what he has left behind.
Manchester City were 4/7 to win the Premier League title ahead of the 2022/23 season, but now their Paddy Power Premier League odds have lengthened to 4/6 for 2023/24 – despite how easily the Cityzens dominated the English top flight last term. That is partly to do with the loss of Gundogan.
As his former club prepares for their opening game of the new season, for which the Burnley v Man City odds make Pep Guardiola’s men a 1/4 favourite and the Clarets a 17/2 underdog, the 32-year-old will instead be prepping for his Barcelona debut against Getafe.
Well, at least that’s the plan. However, Gündoğan picked up an injury in the El Clasico friendly with Real at the end of July and was substituted before halftime – it’s thought a groin problem was the cause, so he may face a race against time to be fit for the clash with Getafe on August 13.
But the issue shouldn’t derail the German’s campaign too much – music to the ears of Xavi, who will be relying on Gundogan to provide the right balance in his midfield.
Pivot Power
In the great tradition of Barcelona teams of yesteryear, Xavi opts for the timeless 4-3-3 formation that is powered by the pivot player at the base of midfield.
While Frenkie de Jong and his associates are allowed the freedom to press forward and move into wide areas when the moment calls for it, the pivot – a role performed so brilliantly by Busquets for a number of years at Camp Nou – is required to have the discipline and positional sense to sit deep, protect the back four and recycle possession.
But is this Gundogan’s natural style? The German is considered to be more of a crusading midfield player himself, scoring eleven goals and assisting many others during City’s treble-winning 2022/23 campaign.
His instincts are to attack, therefore. The fear might be that Gundogan as the pivot could leave Barca’s midfield unbalanced, with the other options – Oriel Romeu and De Jong – perhaps not able to reach the heights in the role delivered by Busquets.
There’s no doubt that Gundogan is a fine player and an excellent capture for Barcelona, with his on-field exploits matched by the experience of being a multiple-time champion at City – and, of course, finally a Champions League winner too. That sort of nous should not be overlooked for a club that hasn’t lifted the continent’s premier prize since 2015.
But can he be considered a natural replacement for Busquets in that number six role? The jury remains out on that front, so watch to see how Xavi deploys De Jong early in the season – the Dutchman may be asked to fill Busquets’ big old shoes.
If he can – and Gundogan hits the ground running as a considerable attacking threat from midfield, Barcelona can once again dream of La Liga glory.
