Xavi vs Pirlo

Who would you rather have on your team and why?

I'll just copy what I wrote in the other thread:

alexjanosik wrote:

The_ItalianFool wrote:

zece wrote:Better than Xavi ever was and ever will be IMO.

Was never a question. Pirlo has a bigger arsenal of moves and more swagger on the ball.

Kindly enlighten me as to how Pirlo has a bigger arsenal.
Xavi is a better technician,better passer,better goal scorer,better defender.
You name it,he is better.
There isnt one single thing Pirlo is better at.Not one.

What you are saying is laughable. You can make an argument for Xavi being a bit better, but saying that he's better than Pirlo in every single aspect of the game is plain ridiculous.

Xavi is not a better defender than Pirlo, not by a long shot. Pirlo makes more successful tackles, interceptions, and clearances per game than Xavi.

Also, Pirlo makes more key passes/game and has more assists than Xavi. And should I mention that Pirlo has more accurate crosses/game, long balls/game, and through balls/game than Xavi.

Now, I watch Juve matches and I often watch Barca matches, so I'm not relying on stats alone, but what I'm saying is also based on what I see on the pitch. Xavi is not much better than Pirlo and neither is Pirlo much better than Xavi. It's not easy to decide who's better.

They're close, but I believe Pirlo is the better player.


Edit: And who brought Xavi into a Pirlo appreciation thread anyway?

Xavi. Because I dont need to surround the midfield with defensive players to protect him, especially those who have to play higher up the pitch so not only do they have to be defensive workers, they supposed to have ball skills too (harder to find).

He also works harder defensively while being more mobile, more vertical and keeping possession at a level never seen before while also being a incredible threat for the final pass.

Im bias, but for me, that what it is.

Both great. I'd take either one.

IMO Xavi wouldn't be the same player outside of Barca. Anyway Pirlo is better.

Xavi only because he seems to move a bit more than Pirlo.

As a player though I like Pirlo's style better.


All in all they are both roughly the same in terms of quality. They both have different advantages in other areas but both excell at the same thing in the end and that is Passing.

El Pipita wrote:

zece wrote:IMO Xavi wouldn't be the same player outside of Barca. Anyway Pirlo is better.

How you prove that ? how Xavi wouldn't be the same player in a different team.

Any Barca player depends on the other 10 players. They aren't the same team when one of them is missing. Even though Xavi is the most important, he isn't as good when Iniesta isn't there for example. (and viceversa)

2 Different types of players playing 2 totally different roles in 2 different leagues. Don't see how you will ever reach to a conclusion who is better. That will never happen

Pirlo
Likes to play long balls, play the ball into air, shoot from distance and does not dive into tackles

Xavi
Likes to do layoffs, play short simple passes and have excellent concentration

zece wrote:IMO Xavi wouldn't be the same player outside of Barca. Anyway Pirlo is better.

And Maldini would not be the same outside Milan, and Del Piero would not be the same outside of Juve, and Totti would not be the same outside of Roma...

Your point?

In a counter attacking team, Pirlo.

In a possession based team, Xavi.

Not that they'd do bad if we switch them around, mind you. They're both legends.

If I was to take one of them into Chelsea it would be Xavi but if I was building a team from the Ground up I would take Pirlo.

Overall, Pirlo edges it for me.

Xavi will not be able to play in any EPL team other than Arsenal. Pirlo maybe as he likes to put out long passes and play more direct like 99 percent of the english teams do. But at current state Pirlo is too old and getting slow and Milan used Emmaneulson to exploit that and Pirlo had a shocker. So he is only useful in the Italian league or a old age home

Our sport is too complex and that why it's a so wonderful sport .

Football US : easy to say who is the better QB ?


Pirlo or Xavi ?? it all depend of who else you get in the team . Xavi would be at beast with a type of player and style of play . Same goes for Pirlo

Bénin wrote:Our sport is too complex and that why it's a so wonderful sport .

Football US : easy to say who is the better QB ?


Pirlo or Xavi ?? it all depend of who else you get in the team . Xavi would be at beast with a type of player and style of play . Same goes for Pirlo

No it's not, you have at least 3 guys who are at the same level right now, Brady, Brees, Rodgers. If Peyton's neck surgery is successful, he will be up there with them and that would be 4.

On topic, If i had to build my team around someone, i would say Xavi. I am not going to argue who is better although i have been more impressed by Xavi as a midfield general. I would understand anyone arguing it since it's close. At a technical level i also do think that Xavi is better, and his balls splitting passes in his prime were things of wonder. Defensively as well, i found him to be a harder worker all around.

I think Xavi is better but I would never change Pirlo for him.

I've seen Barcelona play quite a bit, I don't see this defensive mastermind that some have seemed to outline.

I've also been pleasantly surprised with how hard Pirlo works defensively, I've seen him make last chance tackles and clear corners, but also make runs into the opposition. I mean look at his goal against Fiorentina, pretty impressive stuff.

Xavi also has the luxury of passing to players like Messi, Pirlo has Pepe!
And he doesn't require two defensive players next to him, nor does he have that. Marchisio and Vidal are very complete midfielders who do a bit of everything, its simply how this Juventus plays.

Above all else, Pirlo has simply been a class act for Juventus. He brings class, leadership, professionalism and experience to a team that badly needs it. I would say Xavi has been the better player for the past few years, at least.

Pirlo, because I'm biased and Xavi gets way more attention that him despite the fact that has been Pirlo playing brilliantly for at least twice as long.

I really don't understand the claims that Pirlo is better defensively than Xavi. Xavi could play DM without too many difficulties, Pirlo would get eaten alive.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:I really don't understand the claims that Pirlo is better defensively than Xavi. Xavi could play DM without too many difficulties, Pirlo would get eaten alive.

How would Pirlo get eaten alive as DM, while Xavi wont have too many difficulties as DM? Is this some kind of sarcasm, am i missing something?

I think Sushi Master put it nicely,

In a counter attacking team, Pirlo.

In a possession based team, Xavi.

Xavi

Well I know I'm biased but we all are.

Pirlo is a great player, and I think he should be remembered in the top tier of midfielders in his era. For me, Xavi is the player people should measure other CMs of that era against. You can get into specifics of different roles etc., but at the end of the day, for general CMs, Xavi is the benchmark.

Why? Well some good points have already been made. The main one that stands out is Dani's, as Pirlo likes to sit deep and spray passes, but he's not a DM and not a defensive force either. He's relatively static and I don't think he covers the same ground defensively either. Pirlo is a brilliant passer, brilliant vision, and maybe at that level you can argue. Otherwise I think Xavi is better. Very mobile, positionally impeccable, keeps the ball as well as any player I've ever seen etc etc.

Then there's this idea that Xavi can't play in other systems as well as Pirlo. Why? Xavi wouldn't be as good in most EPL midfields because the level of EPL midfields atm is atrocious, but Xavi would improve every single one. Pirlo wouldn't be better in a counter-attacking system. Why is this presumed he would... its just because Xavi has always played in possession teams and he's best in them. For counter you need fast and accurate passing, mobility and pass & move... Xavi is better at all of these.

I don't think either is perfectly suited to DM, and I don't think either would get eaten alive. Its a bit of a waste to have them play there. For Xavi though, its more of a waste than Pirlo, and thats the only reason I think people presume he'd be worse than Pirlo. Its not a reason.

Sushi Master wrote:In a counter attacking team, Pirlo.

In a possession based team, Xavi.

Not that they'd do bad if we switch them around, mind you. They're both legends.

Juventus is a possession team and Pirlo is playing the best he has played in years.

Pirlo ain't static fellas. He goes back to defend, brings the ball up, and even scores in open play as of yesterday in front of goal.

Check the heat map from last game, he covers the entire center of the pitch up til the opposing box.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/gamecast?id=326930&cc=5739

Xavi and its not even close.

Depends on who my team is

If I wanted to play a more direct style I'd pick Pirlo

If I wanted to be more patient in the build up I'd pick Xavi