In the first half both teams pressed high, but only Barcelona were able to create turnovers from these situations. Aided by a faulty Dortmund defense, Barcelona went into half-time with a comfortable two-goal lead. Dortmund saw lots of the ball after the game restarted, but only really created chances when the game was already played. […]
It took a while due to Messi’s injuries, but the monster triumvirate of Ter Stegen, Luis Suárez and Leo Messi – who have ruled LaLiga with an iron fist for the last two years – finally got to play a full 90 minutes together this league season. And the results should terrify everyone else in […]
After going ahead early on, Internazionale impressed at the Camp Nou with their organization against the ball and their sequences of playing out from the back with possession. For much of the game, Barcelona were arguably second best, until second half changes from Ernesto Valverde and a couple of moments from inspiration from their attackers […]
Getafe tried to press with a high defensive line against Barcelona. The away side had some success in outplaying this, but the game still ended up being a somewhat scrappy affair at times, which suited Getafe. Barcelona were not at their sparkling best and they conceded a couple of chances in the first half, but […]
The first half of this match between two teams from Europe’s elite was pretty even. Both teams played well, without creating obvious scoring chances. In the second half, Dortmund were the dominant team and focused on flank play. They failed to convert the biggest chance there is in football – a penalty kick – and […]
Led by the free-roaming Arthur and Frenkie de Jong and an energetic Ansu Fati, Barcelona quickly took down a Valencia team that was visibly shaken by the recent firing of their coach. During the second half, Griezmann’s increased interventions in the game and Suarez’s entrance produced even more goals for the home side. Tactical analysis […]
Barcelona continue to struggle without Lionel Messi, but can the dilemma be too much for even Messi to fix? Osasuna’s switch between intense pressing and a compact low block A low block refers to a team that retreats deep in their own half out of possession, generally only disrupting their opponents around their own box. […]
Real Betis were able to take the lead early on at the Nou Camp in one of their few attacks throughout the game. Barcelona initially found it tough to break down a compact Betis side, who defended increasingly deep once they were ahead. Eventually Barcelona found a way through with two Antoine Griezmann goals either […]
During the first half, Athletic’s defensive scheme easily stopped Barcelona’s rigid and disjointed possession game, reducing them to only two shots. In the second half, Rakitić’s entrance and the shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation improved Barcelona’s buildup, which allowed them to control the game. As the match looked set for a well-deserved draw, however, Aduriz […]
Barcelona’s poor mid-pitch press combined with Valencia’s ruthlessness gave Marcelino’s side an early lead. Barcelona’s lack of attacking output allowed them to keep it. A late glimmer of hope from Messi was ultimately quashed as Barcelona stumbled out of another trophy. Tactical analysis and match report by Tom Quartly. The Benito Villamarín was the elected […]