Barca set a defensive record in La Liga

Xavi replaced six starting positions compared to the 2-2 draw with Man Utd in the first leg of the Europa League play-off round in midweek. In defence, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Alejandro Balde were given opportunities. Upline is the presence of Sergi Roberto, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati.

A guest at Camp Nou, but Cadiz got off to a better start when Roger Marti netted Ter Stegen 19 minutes into the match. However, the goal was disallowed for offside.

Barca only prospered from the second half of the first half, when Roberto respectively hit the position of goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma and Balde kicked the bar in the 25th minute. Ten minutes later, Roberto buffered the crossbar from the left wing.

The difference came in the 43rd minute, when Torres played alone through three Cadiz players on the right, penetrated the penalty area and crossed to let Robert Lewandowski fly to head near the wall. A home player blocked the ball on the goal line just in range for Roberto to cushion an empty net.

Barca decided the match in the first minute of injury time. Receiving Roberto's pass, Lewandowski controlled a beat and then sank to the corner to lower Ledesma. The Polish striker ended a three-match streak to score his 15th goal in his first 19 appearances in La Liga, thereby becoming the second fastest player to reach this milestone in the tournament. The leader in this parameter is Cristiano Ronaldo with 15 goals in 17 matches in the 2009-2010 season.

Meanwhile, Roberto scored three goals in 13 La Liga games under Xavi, compared with five in 208 previous games in the league. In addition, the Spanish midfielder also had the first time both scoring and assisting in the same match in La Liga, after 221 appearances.

In the second half, Roger Marti hit Barca again. But the goal was still disallowed when the referee determined that a Cadiz player had fouled Ter Stegen in the previous situation.

This decision helped Barca keep 17 clean sheets in La Liga this season, the best achievement of a club in the first 22 matches in the tournament, breaking Deportivo La Coruna's record of 16 clean sheets in the same period in the 1993-1994 season.

The Camp Nou owner has also conceded seven goals in 22 matches in La Liga this season, fewer than any club in the same period in the tournament's history. The previous record of nine goals in 22 matches was set by Atletico in the 2017-2018 season, Deportivo in the 1993-1994 season and Barca in the 1986-1987 season.

The 2-0 victory over Cadiz helps Barca widen the gap with Real to eight points at the top of the La Liga table, and runs the perfect momentum for the second leg of the Europa League play-off against Man Utd on February 23. The first leg at Camp Nou ended with a score of 2-2.