Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is impressed by Xavi's impact at Barcelona.

Xavi returned to Barca in November to replace Ronald Koeman in the dugout, and Gerrard thinks his previous experience at the Nou Camp has helped him settled into the role.

"With the appointment of Xavi, I think it was a masterstroke by Barcelona to appoint him," Gerrard said in the aftermath of playing against the Catalan giants in a charity match at Anfield on Saturday.

"He obviously knows the style - what all the Barcelona people want to see - and after some challenging times it looks as if they're getting back to where they need to be.

"It was obviously a huge result against Real Madrid. As a fan of Barcelona, from afar, it's really good to see them back firing well."