Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti is once again enjoying a fine season in the French capital with the Ligue 1 champions.
Despite scoring a comical own goal in last Sunday’s 4-1 win over AS Saint-Etienne, the Italy international provided two assists and displayed great maturity once again by steering clear of any potential yellow cards.
It came off the back of a solid display in the 0-0 draw at home to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, where one of his trademark dribbles saw him embarrass Spain international Sergio Ramos to the delight of the Parc des Princes crowd in the second half.
During the recent international break, when Verratti helped the Azzurri to book their place at Euro 2016, the 22-year-old was praised by former Italy international and AC Milan legend Demetrio Albertini.
The ex-midfielder, who finished his career with a short stint at Barcelona in 2005, told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Gazzetta World’s Marco Calabresi in English) that he is reminded of legendary Spain and Barca man Xavi when he watches the PSG star in action.
Verratti does remind one of Xavi. He plays like a Barcelona player would by making short passes. He is different from Andrea Pirlo but is still great. Pirlo makes the entire team play well regardless of his teammates. Marco needs the help of those around him a bit more, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Firstly, before saying anything else on the matter, it must be acknowledged that Verratti still has a long way to go before he can be spoken about in the same breath as one of the all-time greats like Xavi.
The 35-year-old has won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and both the 2008 and 2012 Euros with Spain. He also boasts eight La Liga, four Champions League and three Copa del Rey titles, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup twice each. Then there is a plethora of individual accolades.
There are few, if any in the current game, with a resume as glittering as Xavi’s, and Verratti has a lot of ground to make up over the next 13 years or so if he wants to reach the same level as the Spaniard by the time he reaches a similar age.
At present, the former Pescara man only has three Ligue 1, one Coupe de France, two Coupe de la Ligue and three Trophee des Champions titles, as well as a Serie B crown from his time in Italy.
It will not be an easy task for Verratti to usurp the Barcelona great. In fact, it may well prove impossible. Xavi won almost everything there is to win with Los Cules and is rightly considered one of the most influential midfielders of all time, not to mention a club legend of the highest order.
However, Albertini’s comparison between the two is not to be completely laughed at. There are some similarities between the Italian and the Spaniard that make the former Azzurri star’s view a valid one.
First of all, both players are small in stature and diminutive figures on the pitch. However, that does not stop them both from being highly influential for their respective sides (Xavi is now seeing out his days in Qatar with Al Sadd SC).
Verratti, like the legendary former Barcelona No. 6, possesses excellent passing ability over both short and long range.
The pint-sized PSG terrier’s passing is arguably better over a shorter distance, aided by his partnership with Xavi’s metronomic former Barca teammate Thiago Motta, but young Verratti is also capable of Pirlo-esque lofted cross-field passes and through balls, too.
Les Parisiens’ No. 6—yes, Verratti also wears the same number as Xavi on his back—also boasts magnetic ball control, similar to the ex-Spain international’s Velcro-like ability to retain possession.
On Sunday, despite his uncharacteristically clumsy own goal, the Italian displayed his penchant for making key passes by assisting Layvin Kurzawa’s well-taken opener and Lucas Moura’s late headed goal. Xavi remains one of the kings of the key pass, another similarity shared with Verratti.
As mentioned earlier, the PSG gem is a menace for opponents because of his ability to pick out a through ball—whether it is in the air or on the floor—something that Al Sadd’s gifted schemer made a key part of his near-flawless style of play.
Although there is plenty that is positive to say about both Verratti and Xavi, it should also be noted that a rare weakness for both is that neither offer much of a threat in the air because of their diminutive stature.
While there are many shared qualities and a small number of minor drawbacks that both have in common, there are some subtle and other more striking differences, too.
For one, as has so often been the case seen since Verratti arrived at PSG, the Azzurri talent dives into tackles. This nasty habit—albeit one that he is gradually learning to control—has earned him an unhealthy number of yellow cards throughout his short career.
Considering how Xavi was never one for diving into challenges, often shying away from physical confrontation during games, it would not be surprising if Verratti has already accumulated more yellow cards in his short career than Xavi.
That is one major difference between the two midfielders; the second is that Xavi was brilliant from dead-ball situations, while Verratti is not.
Admittedly, the French capital outfit’s No. 6 does not often get to take set pieces, but he has proved extremely useful when masterminding quickly taken free kicks that have occasionally led to goals thanks to his brilliant vision.
While he might never become as big a threat from dead balls as Xavi—or PSG teammate Motta, for that matter—Verratti certainly can improve in this area over the coming years.
Something that he is improving gradually is his shooting from distance. Xavi is very good at that, and while at Barca the Spaniard also had the useful knack of timing his long-range shots well.
Verratti is not yet enough of a threat to score from long distances—in fact, he struggles to pull the trigger even when close to the goal—but it is something that he can definitely add to his game over the coming years.
Xavi was concentrated and composed on and off the ball, and Verratti, for the most part, is the same—especially when you observe him dancing between defenders and dribbling on a tightrope in front of the PSG defence while Laurent Blanc tears his hair out.
However, the Italy No. 10 is also prone to regular rushes of blood to the head, which usually result in a booking or some act of petulance. This was something almost never mentioned in the same breath as Xavi and that the PSG man will probably never truly eradicate from his game.
Verratti has a long way to go before he can hope to be spoken about with the same level of admiration as Xavi commands. However, the 22-year-old does have the potential to reach a similar level to the celebrated Spaniard.
Xavi’s legend was written at Barcelona, even though he is playing his days out in the lucrative Qatar Stars League with Al Sadd. Verratti also has two clubs to his name at present, so can the Italian write his legend in Paris?
PSG would dearly love to hold on to him, but the lure of a possible move to Barcelona in the future could be too much to resist.
Will it be at Camp Nou, like Xavi, where the Italian writes his legend? He has already been linked with the Catalan giants, according to ESPN FC’s Ian Holyman.
Or will Les Parisiens succeed in keeping him and watching him surely grow into one of—if not the—biggest legends the French giants have ever known?