Barcelona were chasing the game from the start due to the first leg deficit and did so with good intensity. In their 3-4-3 system, the front three of Messi, Griezmann and Dembélé posed a threat against the PSG defense. However, an Mbappé penalty put Barcelona further behind, and a long-range effort from Messi was the […]
Barcelona had it all to do in the second leg of their cup tie with Sevilla. The two hours of action that followed produced a game that will go down in folklore. In a breathtaking affair that saw three goals, two red cards, and a penalty, the victors sealed a hard-fought turnaround. Tactical analysis and […]
Sevilla’s matchup with Barcelona pitted the two in-form teams in Spain of 2021 against each other. But there was only one side that looked likely to come out on top in this game. In a three at the back system, the visitors managed to stifle their opponents while taking their chances to seal a precious […]
Barcelona took the lead through a Lionel Messi penalty, but were punished for an unstable man-oriented defensive scheme, with the first two goals conceded through wide spaces created by defensive weakness between fullback and winger. Mbappé menaced throughout and was able to complete his hattrick late in the game on the counterattack after Kean’s contribution […]
In a fixture that has continually delivered goals, Barcelona’s clash with Real Betis lived up to expectations. But in contrast to the matchup, Ronald Koeman did not revert to type, making several tweaks from the sideline to help his side take all three points in a thrilling match. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. […]
Barcelona came into this game looking to gain revenge for losing in the Supercup two weeks ago. And while the attack in the final third did not match their clever buildup shape, they were able to look to the star studded names on the team sheet to make the crucial difference. Tactical analysis and match […]
Coming into this fixture on a strong run of form, Ronald Koeman would have hoped his outfit could dispatch strugglers Elche. However, Barcelona found their hosts’ 4-5-1 defensive shape tough to crack, relying on a late goal from the prodigal son of the squad to seal the three points. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Ronald Koeman bit the bullet on the 4-2-3-1 shape, sending out his team with the aim to blow away Valencia with flair in the final third. Yet, the switch failed with a mix of offensive sterility and issues controlling transition exposing how problems lie much deeper than the formation. Tactical analysis by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. After […]
Strikes from Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong proved sufficient for Barcelona to beat Sociedad, but what truly impressed was the dominant nature of this win. Better spacing on the pitch and dynamic ball movement demonstrated what Ronald Koeman’s side can do, as they stacked up the shot count though without the required clinical edge. […]
For what had appeared to be a rather limited strategy for ball progression from Ronald Koeman soon turned into an irrepressible one. Once Manuel Pellegrini’s side felt forced to switch their pressing scope from the Dutch magician, Frenkie de Jong, on Pedri instead, they then found themselves in deep waters, trying to steady a forever-sinking […]