FC Barcelona vs Sevilla
Xavi’s Barça have finally begun to take shape and represent more refined and specific ideas of the coach. The collective shows more emergence and principles are a lot more well coordinated. Here’s a thread of my observations from the game:
Xavi’s Barça have finally begun to take shape and represent more refined and specific ideas of the coach. The collective shows more emergence and principles are a lot more well coordinated. Here’s a thread of my observations from the game:
Frenkie had a particularly influential role playing through the right half space. Although he stayed high more than aiding in build up, he was crucial to the chances created on the right side, either by looking to link up and play short, or offer an outlet via runs.
Although the intentions and timing behind the runs are a trend across the side will be discussed later, Frenkie’s decision making was crucial between the lines. A runner from between the lines also offering to create from link ups, adds a lot more variables to defend against.
The pressing scheme has finally begun to show a lot more coordination, with the immediate options covered via marking/cover shadows and the player in possession of the ball is usually approached with the intention of forcing a pass to one of these covered players, ….
More than actually trying to win the ball off of the player in possession. Surely, this depends on the profile of the player pressing, an active pressure with the intention to win the ball is observed when players like Gavi press the player on the ball, with intensity …..
And when players like busquets apply pressure, it’s more of manipulating a pass to one of the covered options.
This is different from what was employed earlier this season, where we saw more of funnelling the ball out wide to reduce potency of attacks.
Like I said earlier, the whole shift of paradigm from FBs holding width to wingers holding width has implications to and from the defensive phase, and in this case allows for much better occupation of central regions to enable a passive pressing scheme such as this.
Within their own half, Barcelona looked to sit tight, compact in the center but most importantly, now have way better occupation and awareness defending in their own box.
Having a good positional reference within the box ( could be something as simple as deciding to position with a specific distance), eliminates a lot of confusion while defending in the box. This was precisely the problem in earlier seasons where confusion in marking lead to goals
An offensive trend that seems to be well ingrained in Xavi’s side is to use runs to create space which in turn creates time for creation, usually a long diagonal, cross or a link up.
Another observation I made in the past that seems to be taking light under Xavi is the introduction of diagonal entries. A lot of potential chances and chances were presented due to precisely this.
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