BarcelonaIn the search for the maturity of the game with a squad full of youngsters, Barça has a big problem: it only shows its best side during the first thirty minutes. It’s not an isolated phenomenon: it’s a tonic that could already be felt in some of the games during the first part of the season and, after the stoppage for the World Cup, it has been evident in all the Blaugrana’s commitments. Against Espanyol, in the Cup against Intercity, in the visit to Atlético de Madrid and also against Betis in the Spanish Super Cup. If Barça wants to face Real Madrid in the final this Sunday (8 p.m., Movistar Supercopa de España) they will have to maintain their good performances beyond the first half hour.
While the Whites are a compact block, endorsed by being the current champions of the Champions League and the League (also of the Super Cup), Barça is a team under construction and with several very young players, such as Araujo (23 years old), Koundé (24), Balde (19) Pedri (20) and Gavi (18). It is true that Xavi landed in the middle of the year, but from the club they set the counter to zero from the summer, with an important investment – with leverage – to strengthen themselves. The speech that is distilled from the Sports City is that there has been a remarkable evolution compared to last year in the understanding of some concepts of the style that Egarenc wants to implement, such as the third man, which, in short, it would be to detect the free teammate in a more advantageous situation to receive the ball.
A “mental” problem
In the four matches played in the return to the club competition, the reality is that Barça have indeed been fluid and have developed an offensive, collective and fast game during the first 30 minutes of play. But after this time, the team has disconnected, which has allowed the rivals to complicate their lives. Asked about this question, Xavi’s main arguments have been focused on the loss of concentration, the specific mistakes, the lack of forcefulness in the areas and the fact that the rivals are also playing.
Before facing Atlético and after having to go to extra time with Intercity, the coach refused to talk about a game problem, if not “mental”, associated, in part , to the aforementioned youth of the team. After the victory against the Matlassas, on the other hand, he did point out the difficulties in the game, when the Madrid team increased the line of pressure and the team played – up to more than 30 occasions – at the back with Ter Stegen.
The changes destroy the team
Although we have often seen a more vertical and party Barça, away from the idea of play that Xavi always defends in public, when they have played best has been when the midfield has been dominant. The team’s decline has tended to be accentuated when the chips have been changed in the engine room. The entry of Kessie for De Jong (minute 58) and Raphinha for Gavi (minute 73) against Atlético weakened the team, in the same way that, with other changes, also happened against Betis.
In front of the Andalusian team, Barça was having one of the best first parts of the Xavi era, until the changes arrived. Several factors help to understand how the starting midfield of Gavi, De Jong and Pedri performed. When the defense recovered, the three midfielders alternated to make moves to attract the opponent – the pressure of Betis – going to look for the ball at the start of the game and unmarking to advance towards the opposite field. All three alternated combining their movements, combining with each other and, when they had already attracted the rival pressure, often offloading on the wings, especially on the left.
Both Alba and Roberto, the full-backs, were much more involved in the first half and benefited from the high tempo proposed by Gavi, De Jong and Pedri. The Dutchman, as a pivot, provided mobility to go and collect the ball in his own field – and bit into the pressure when Betis had it -, while the Andalusian and the Canarian were responsible for distributing the game in a hurry, breaking the rival pressure line. In summary: when the ball came out, the centrals and de Jong benefited from the movements of Pedri and Gavi attacking the backs of the rivals and directing the game.
One fact is particularly revealing: of the 49 passes he distributed in the first half (with De Jong as a partner), 34 were in the opponent’s field. On the other hand, in the second half (Busquets came on for the Dutchman in the 63rd minute), of the 40 served, only 22 were on Betis’ ground.
Effectiveness in the areas
In short, having the Barça midfield come into play offers more collective wealth and the team finds many more resources beyond getting the ball to Dembélé and for the Frenchman to seek to wage war on his own. But to change the sign of the marker also requires effectiveness. The creation of opportunities is choral, but finishing depends on individual talent and inspiration. The Blaugrana scored up to 12 times against Betis, 6 of which between the three posts. Lewandowski and Ansu, the scorers, starred in four shots each. Just as Ter Stegen was decisive with his saves.
Barça’s big challenge is to stop being a 30-minute team, a strategy that would only work in Gerard Piqué’s Kings League, where games last 40 minutes. In the final against Real Madrid, much more will be needed.
