Xavi v Andrea Pirlo: The ultimate head-to-head between the two best centre midfielders of their generation

ANALYSIS

Not since March 2008 in an international friendly in Elche have they stepped onto the same field, but on Sunday evening one of those rare treats will be enjoyed by Europe’s football fans as two colossi of the modern game face off on the greatest stage. In terms of technical ability, there will be no greater show during Euro 2012 than Spain’s Group C clash with Italy thanks simply to the presence of Xavi and Andrea Pirlo.

In an era in which more and more leagues look to follow the trend of the fast and furious Premier League, the instinct to put one’s foot on the ball and assess all options can seem almost primeval at times. But the Barcelona midfielder and his Juventus counterpart remain the greatest exponents of passing football that the world has to offer, and their respective teams have reaped the rewards.

When Xavi has been at his metronomic best, Barca have been near-unstoppable. When people say he has won 22 trophies in his career, including a World Cup and European Championship, they could almost be listing personal achievements. It is damned difficult not to win games when he is at his pomp.

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He has never changed since being taught at La Masia to nurture the ball, guide it, treat it right, and never take it for granted. His ability to keep a picture of the entire pitch in his head no matter what is going on around him is phenomenal, almost reaching the extent that he knows what team-mates and opponents alike are going to do before they know it themselves. Such a supreme footballing brain has so rarely been seen before. Chess once had Garry Kasparov, but football is lucky ... Xavi is still playing.

Some have said of the likes of Xavi and Lionel Messi that it is easier to play in a team full of so many stars. While that sentiment may hold some truth, what cannot be debated is the fact that the Spaniard has regularly stood out in the world’s best club and international sides over the past half-decade. Barcelona and Spain have won everything. And Xavi has won much of it for them, with few of those 22 triumphs having come without his stamp all over them.

MOST PASSES COMPLETED IN 2011-12
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When Barca beat Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, an English newspaper used a picture of a football for each pass completed by every player on the pitch as part of its analysis. While some players barely took up any ink at all, Xavi almost needed a separate supplement.
It is never as simple, of course, as saying that one player won a trophy single-handedly, but many have come close to claiming exactly that of Andrea Pirlo over the past few months. One thing that is for certain is that Juventus would not have won the Scudetto had the midfielder not left AC Milan for Vinovo last summer.

His impact has been sensational, transforming a side looking ill at ease defensively and lacking in direction on the ball into one of the most complete outfits seen anywhere in the world over the past season. His ability to dictate a game has made Juve a winning club once more, and Pirlo himself has returned to the kind of form which had many pointing to him as one of football’s best ever passing midfielders

When a team is based around Pirlo, trophies invariably follow. Just ask Juve, or Milan. He was also the heartbeat of the Italy side which shocked the world in 2006. There is no coincidence that teams with Pirlo in them have great defensive records. When he’s around, opponents automatically drop deeper, knowing any space given up is likely to be exploited. Hell, he even seems to find space when there is none. It goes without saying that when a team plays deeper, they are less able to ask questions themselves. That’s just part of the Pirlo effect.

The technical ability that both players exude dispels the myth that technical football is a luxury to be ignored – a starry-eyed notion that doesn’t belong in the real world. When Xavi or Pirlo is on the field, a game is always, but always, worth watching. Their passing stats alone leave the rest of football embarrassed.

But what makes them so good? What attributes are combined to form modern football’s two best footballers? Below we break down their abilities, giving them a rating out of five stars for each area.