"The opponent’s defenders now suffer" - Barcelona star heaps praise on the changes made by Xavi

Barcelona forward Memphis Depay believes the changes made by Xavi Hernandez to the team are slowly paying dividends.

Depay made his return from injury last night (February 27) during the Blaugrana's 4-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao at the Nou Camp. He came on as a substitute for Adama Traore in the 82nd minute and scored in injury-time with a sweeping finish from Ousmane Dembele's cross.

Speaking after the match, Depay praised Xavi, saying (as quoted by Football Oranje):

“He has changed our training methods. The opponent’s defenders now suffer when they meet us.”

The Dutch forward also praised the impact of Barcelona's signings from the January transfer window, saying:

“The team is in great shape. We also have more attackers now. You immediately see what is happening. We score three goals in 10 minutes. The winter signings are doing very well.”

The Catalan giants brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Adama Traore (on loan) last month. All three players, alongside the returning Dani Alves, have been on song for the side in recent weeks.

Aubameyang has netted five goals in seven matches while Traore has laid out four assists in six games across all competitions. Torres has also chipped in with two goals and three assists in eight matches, while Alves has scored once and assisted thrice in six matches across competitions.

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Barcelona are finding their feet under Xavi

After a slightly rocky start following Xavi's arrival in November, Barcelona finally seem to be picking up some form under the former player.

The month of February brought several difficult fixtures, including matches against Atletico Madrid in La Liga and Napoli in the UEFA Europa League. Nonetheless, the Blaugrana went unbeaten during the month, picking up four wins and two draws.

Impressively, they scored four goals in each of their four wins, with the attack finally clicking thanks to the addition of Aubameyang, Torres and Traore. Depay's return will only bolster the frontline further as Xavi's side look to end the season well.

With the win against Bilbao last night, the Catalans have picked up 45 points from 25 matches and sit fourth in the La Liga standings. They are just a solitary point behind third-placed Real Betis and have a game in hand over the Balompie.

Barcelona also qualified for the Round of 16 of the Europa League in February, sealing a 5-1 aggregate win against Napoli. They will take on Galatasaray in the next round, with the first leg slated for 11 March at the Nou Camp.