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Xavi Hernandez has opened up on how easy it is to manage Barcelona's new signing Ilkay Gundogan.
The German superstar has always seemed to be in the headlines for the right reasons and spent seven very successful years under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. In fact, he was the Spaniard's first signing at the Etihad, and the two went on to win 14 trophies together.
Gundogan was also Manchester City's captain last season when they became only the second English team to win the continental treble. The Cityzens, like Barca, put focus on possession-based football — something the 32-year-old excelled at given his immaculate passing range and ability.
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Gundogan grabbed an assist as Barca ran out 5-0 winners in their opening UEFA Champions League game against Royal Antwerp at home on Tuesday (September 19). Xavi praised the former Borussia Dortmund star, telling BarcaTV+ (h/t BarcaUniversal):
"Gundogan is a great player. You do not need to give him a lot of instructions. He knows how to play easily and without complexity."
The German captain played the full 90 minutes against Antwerp, completing 100 of 106 passes. He also created four goal-scoring chances and made seven recoveries.
Gundogan has featured in all six games across competitions for Barcelona this season, laying out three assists. He penned a two-year deal at the Camp Nou this summer, with an option for another season.
Xavi Hernandez makes big claim about Barcelona's latest wins
Xavi Hernandez has said that Barcelona's last two wins across competitions have been his 'best games as a coach'.
The Blaugrana dispatched Real Betis 5-0 in La Liga on September 16 before beating Antwerp by the same scoreline. Barca kept 70% of the ball against the Belgian side and managed 65% possession against Betis.
Over the two games, they managed a combined 39 shots, getting 19 of them on target. After beating the reigning Belgian champions, Xavi told the aforementioned source:
"Very happy with the result. Saturday and today were my best games as a coach. An improvement in the way we play. It is a pride to see the team like this. We must continue."
Xavi won his first trophy with Barcelona last season when they won the Supercopa de Espana. He followed that up by winning the 2022-23 league title. His team are second in the league this season, with 13 points from five games, trailing Real Madrid (15).
They're also expected to qualify for the Champions League knockouts for the first time in three seasons. Apart from Antwerp, Group H has Portuguese giants Porto and Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk.
