WhoScored Exclusive: Roberto Trashorras Talks Styles, Stats & Barca with WhoScored

Last September’s meeting between Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona was among the most commented upon games of the entire campaign, especially for those observers with an interest in statistics.

For the first time since Pep Guardiola doubled down on the club’s historical focus on retaining possession after taking charge in 2008, a blaugrana side finished a game having had less of the ball than their opponents. Rayo not only had more possession [54% to Barca’s 46%], they also had a better pass success rate [81% to 76%], and one more shot on target [9 to 8].

A Barca side losing the possession battle for the first time in 317 games brought a torrent of criticism for [then] coach Gerardo Martino, even though his team had actually won 4-0. That storm is being recalled as Barca, led by new boss Luis Enrique, return to the Estadio Vallecas on Saturday. And this year's game could well take a very similar shape, Rayo captain Roberto Trashorras told WhoScored.com in an exclusive interview.

“Our idea will be the same, to take them on as equals,” Trashorras says. “We know that against Barca it is important for us to try and have the ball, so they cannot do you damage. It is true that last year we kept the ball from them, and they still beat us well. But our idea remains the same.”

12 months ago Trashorras was the most involved player from either of the two teams, making 66 passes at 86% accuracy. Meanwhile Barca’s Xavi Hernandez completed only 46 passes [in 81 minutes on pitch] and Cesc Fabregas just 41. Such statistics are something the Galician midfielder says he takes a keen interest in himself.

“I identify with this, having more possession than the opponent, trying to make more passes than they do,” Trashorras says. “I look closely at the statistics. You do not need them to know if you played well or badly. But they can tell you what has happened, how many passes I have made. If they were good or not. I always try for the numbers to be better each time. I really like to have the ball, participate a lot in the play and manage the rhythm of the game.”

Trashorras managing the play of the team that finally beat Barca in the possession stakes was fitting. Over the course of the 2013/14 campaign the Galician completed more passes than any other player in La Liga [2,538]. His average for passes per game of 79.4 per game was beaten only by Xavi’s 86.2 [over fewer games]. Other high-profile midfielders were well behind - Sergio Busquets [76.7 per game], Xabi Alonso [65.6], Andres Iniesta [63.3] or Luka Modric [58.4].

The former Spain under-age international says he was delighted to have come out on top of such a ranking: “It made me proud to be the player who gave the most passes in the entire Liga. For a player of Rayo Vallecano, a humble team, to be up there at the top, with players like Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, is an honour.”

Such a status was not always evident for Trashorras, now 33. Before joining Rayo in summer 2011, he played almost all his football in Spain’s second and third tiers, for Numancia, Las Palmas and Celta Vigo. But throughout that time he was honing the skills learned during eight years in Barca’s youth system, training and playing alongside Xavi and Iniesta among others.

“I went [to La Masia] aged 14 and they taught me to keep possession, to be positive, to organise the play, to pass the ball,” he says. “Many of the things I have now I learned there. I was there for eight years, I played in the first team, I am still good friends with Barca players.”

Previously often deployed as a number 10, Trashorras’ ability to organise a game came to the fore when Paco Jemez came to Vallecas in summer 2012 and moved him deeper. Last season, despite having one of the lowest wage-bills in the division, this decision helped Rayo average 59.5% possession [second to Barca]. They were also third overall in average number of passes per game [485] and fourth in the pass success rankings [80.1%]. Meanwhile Jemez's stern insistence on getting the ball forward quickly saw them average the most long balls [75] in La Liga last term.

“We base our play on possession, as Barca do,” Trashorras says. “[But] we do not have the talent and quality to just move the ball around for an hour. They are capable of playing a long time like that. We look for a moment when we can find that verticality [directness] and use quick players like Leo [Baptistao], [Gael] Kakuta, Javier [Aquino] or Lica to break. If we have a lot of the ball, but do not cause the opponent damage, really the possession is a bit useless.”

This sounds a lot like the more direct approach which new blaugrana coach Luis Enrique is trying to introduce at the Camp Nou this season, with Ivan Rakitic replacing Xavi as the key midfield playmaker. Trashorras - who actually replaced 'Lucho' when making his first team debut in a 2001 Champions League game as a 20 year old substitute - smiles at the idea that his old club might be copying his current side's approach. But then he accepts the premise of the question.

“Ah, no...” he says. “But maybe that is one of the things that Barca can change. Always to look a lot for possession, then in certain moments make that change of rhythm to do damage. Maybe Luis Enrique is trying to do the same, to find that ‘verticality’ with people like Rakitic or Munir or Pedro, people who are breaking into space. Maybe that is the difference.”

The problem is that while Rayo have received much praise for their performances in recent seasons, they have lost all six of their most recent meetings with Barca, conceding 26 goals and scoring just once.

Trashorras is well aware of this, and has never beaten his former club since leaving for Real Madrid B in 2003. But he says Rayo will keep playing the way they do, and look to cut out the individual errors which Barca have punished ruthlessly through recent meetings.

“Bravery is the most important word for us,” he says. “We play very open, and try and play the ball out from the back. So it is clear that the least mistakes we make the better. But that forms part of our style, of our footballing idea. And we know if we do not commit those errors, we have a big chance to win games.”

That brings us back around to Saturday’s game at Vallecas where Rayo, buzzing after consecutive victories over Athletic Bilbao and Levante, host the still undefeated domestically La Liga leaders.

“Of course we can beat them,” Trashorras says. “It is a game of football. We know how difficult it will be, against one of the best teams in the world. But our idea needs to be the same - to be brave and try and take the ball from them, and try and do them damage. They are very good, and in two or three moves they can score goals and beat you. But we want the fans to leave Vallecas having enjoyed themselves, whatever the result.”

Rayo's fans and players did, to a point at least, enjoy themselves last season despite ultimately losing the game. And Trashorras' stats suggest Barca will face another stiff test at Vallecas on Saturday.

Can Trashorras guide Rayo to go one better and make their possession really count against Barcelona this weekend? Let us know in the comments below