One reason why Barça's midfielders play better with the Spanish NT is IMHO their role. Although the organization & starting positions is pretty similar (4-3-3, occupy the half-spaces etc), Pedri & Gavi are not instructed to constantly attack the box or move in ways that would 1/x
... attract opponents and free the wingers. They stay closer to Busi & offer him easy forward passing options. And only attack the box in a posterior phase, once the team is comfortably positioned in the opponent's last third. So, a difference of timing. 2/x
Another difference with Barça is, although (as said before) the organization & system are similar, and Spain's wingers also start from wide positions, they have way more presence in the box than Barça's. 3/x
Especially compared to OD & Rafa, who rarely get into threatening positions in the box (whether they were instructed or that's their natural instinct, IDK). Something Ferran & Ansu do better than the mentioned players though. 4/x
Those closer distances between players mean more passes, at a slower tempo, they have more patience to move the ball until finding a flaw, a free space in the opponent's DF and strike, compared to the sometimes excessive verticalization that we noticed with Xavi's Barça. 5/x
Anyway, those are some of the differences I noticed. If you noticed anything else fell free to share it.
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