With no time for rest or concessions, the Barça receives Betis. The Betic team, with Pellegrini on the bench, is a renewed team with a clear vocation for good football. In addition, after eight games and ten points, he is seventh in the table after having played against important rivals such as Real Madrid, Atlético or Real Sociedad. So everything indicates that an open game will be seen this afternoon. Here are my 5 tactical keys for this attractive match:
1) LOOKING FOR THE BEST PLAYING PATTERN
The last three games have served for Ronald Koeman to have tried three different patterns of play for positioning in the opposite field. Against Juventus (the one that worked the best) the formula was designed based on an open end (Dembelé) and another to support the midfield (Pedri).
Against Alavés, the most incisive version of the start was seen with Dembélé and Ansu Fati as pure wingers from the start. Something that changed in the second half. And against Dinamo, the amplitude was a matter of the sides (Dest and Jordi Alba) pulling both ends inside. It gives the feeling that the technician is looking for the ideal fit of pieces. We’ll see which eleven line up today, but it seems that the match against Juventus has already left good clues as to how the team feels more comfortable. It will be interesting to see if the Barça coach has drawn any conclusions.
2) ATTACK
At Betis, both their usual midfielders (Joaquín, Tello, Canales… Fekir is low) and their full-backs (Emerson, Alex Moreno) are of marked offensive incidence and it takes them a world to discipline themselves in the retreat. Especially when the rival attack goes from the opposite side.
It is possible that today, given the entity and the footballing respect for Barça, they are more aware of it but it will be impossible for them to maintain rigor permanently. That is the reason why most of the 8 goals that Betis have conceded in play, have been with shots to the lateral-central zone.
Keys Barça-Betis (AD)
3) WIN 3 VS 3
Pellegrini uses the same game system as Barça (4-2-3-1) with which pure pairings will be produced in many areas of the field. The most decisive of all is the one that will take place in the middle of the field in which the Catalans will have to solve the 3 against 3 in a favorable way.
To do so and, taking into account that the double pivot of the Pellegrini team is very positional (Guido and William Carvalho), it will be decisive that the two midfielders receive low to see if this implies a brand drag or not. If yes, the area will be free for Messi’s receptions, otherwise it will be one of the midfielders who can receive it easily. It will be absolutely transcendental that the double midfielder never acts in parallel, something that occurred against Alavés.
Keys Barça-Betis (AD)
4) MESSI AND THE GOAL
It is a good day for Barça to find more offensive fluidity than against other rivals since Betis’ proposal is not as closed as others. Good proof of this is that, even though the Betis are the second team that concedes the fewest kicks to the rival (8.1 kicks received per match), they are the second most scored team in the League with 10 goals in 8 games (1, 25 per game) Good day for Messi to come into play a lot in favorable situations and with a certain field space ahead so that he can put into practice his conducts to threaten a pass or to finish solving. All this in search of one of Barça’s current pending subjects, the goal. One day to get it.
5) TELLO AND CHANNELS
With the important loss of Nabil Fekir, the spotlight should go to these two players. Cristian Tello is the most fit footballer of the Betis right now. With four goals to his credit, he accounts for 40% of Betis goals. But it is also that, due to the way Barça plays and the type of game that is going to take place, he will undoubtedly be the most dangerous player.
In a context in which ample spaces are going to be given to the back of the Barça defense, the very high speed of the former Barça will be a constant threat for Barça. Even more so with the wide range of pins behind it.
This situation leads us to focus on another player, Canales. A fantastic footballer and whom Pellegrini has relocated to his most “organizational” version. He plays on the halfway line but acts as the true organizer of the team. It has a continuity pass, a final pass and an exquisite touch. With each passing day he adds more virtues to his game. Attention to Channels because it can produce things in any game situation. With a total of 465, he is the one who makes the most passes in the Betic team (58 per game) and is the top assistant in this League with four in eight games (one every two games). A fantastic footballer
