The incessant attacking flow of this game was in no way comparable to the final scoreline. However, a lot more of the open attacks fell in favor of the visitors, whose exploits in every third of the pitch were superior to Lyon. The weaknesses within Lyon’s deep block were plain to see but Barcelona could […]
Isn’t this the best time of the year? The winter cold slowly fades away, to be replaced by the thin and hopeful sunlight of early spring. Club football enters its decisive phase, with lots to play for in every competition. After a set of very enjoyable Champions league ties last week, the biggest competition in […]
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid played a Clásico that was intense, but will not go in the books as an extraordinary performance. After Real Madrid were dominant in the opening twenty minutes and scored the opener, the match stabilized, becoming even tame at times. A draw leaves all possibilities open when the second leg takes […]
Barcelona took a risky approach in possession against Valencia’s counterattacking threat, and found themselves 2-0 down just over thirty minutes in. Valencia’s brave possession structure kept Barcelona’s backline busy, hurting them with well-executed quick breaks. A moment of individual quality from Lionel Messi was required – again – to find a way past Valencia’s compact […]
FC Barcelona’s adventurous central midfielders wreaked havoc against Girona’s backline. Their constant rotations on the left side created openings time after time, and helped to maintain control. However, the simple-but-effective targeted long ball approach deployed by Girona was key to their nearly successful attacking strategy. The dismissal of Bernardo Espinosa swung the match in Barça’s […]
The match between FC Barcelona and SD Eibar leaves you thinking about the philosophical side of football. Even though Eibar has players of far lesser quality, they took the game to Barcelona and pressed them vigorously. If all teams tried to do that, wouldn’t football be a more fun game? Or was this a naïve […]
Getafe came out with a plan to press and block Barcelona for as long as they could, while making the most of whatever possession they could get. For large parts of the game this worked, but individual ability, good game management and a bit of luck was enough for the champions to extend their lead […]
Celta’s failure to properly defend the Leo Messi – Jordi Alba connection allowed Barcelona to score twice in the first half and achieve a straightforward victory. Barcelona’s inconsistent pressing, combined with the substitutions of Beltrán and Lobotka, allowed Celta to improve during the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by José Perez. Barcelona continued […]
Levante succeeded at enforcing a direct, high-tempo game, while Barcelona struggled due to the use of an improvised 3-5-2 shape that mirrored Levante’s own 3-5-2 formation. However, before the end of the first half, Messi turned the tides with the help of Vidal and Suárez, deciding the game with a grand total of three goals […]
With qualification to the knockout rounds hanging by a thread, Tottenham Hotspur’s performance at Camp Nou was exceptional – albeit against a somewhat weakened FC Barcelona starting eleven. Mauricio Pochettino’s diamond system expertly exploited the holes in Barça’s pressing, whilst also causing some problems for the home side in their buildup phase, too. Tactical analysis […]