El Clasico, v2022 pt.1: Drama, emotions and goals: What ought to be remembered from yesterday's epic clash.
#JdPExplains
[THREAD]
#JdPExplains
[THREAD]
Barcelona's principal foundation relied on the same basics as previously seen, notably of Busquets + two interiors who remain key pillars in progression through the middle. Full-backs stay relatively deep in progression to ensure safety vs any possible turnovers from Madrid.
Long balls from Araujo were not rare, w/ the idea of a front four composed of Dembélé + Ferran out wide & Luuk (focal point) & FdJ as a late runner to match Real Madrid's defense. W/o the late interior, it's an easy 4v3 situation to defend. Keep this in mind.
In its best pressing scheme, Barcelona aimed to limit Madrid's ball-progression based w/ idea of the limitation of angles. A teammate will intervene/adapt to the first pressing harder, w/ direct effect of a forced choice. It could work at times, but inaccuracy benefited Real.
It did not help that #Barcelona ran after its runner but was often decisive milliseconds too late to stop the next reception: Enough time to breathe for #Real who combined regular patient build-up w/ long-balls that allowed to bring new players in the transition.
In this instance, Real Madrid didn't come out well & had to pass back to Courtois under hazardous circumstances but that doesn't mean the press was well executed despite its purpose (limit ball progression) was achieved. Those errors can cost entire lines of defense.
#RealMadrid quickly understood that access to Busquets had to be cut & was happy to leave Benzema pressing. Barcelona are allowed to progress through the full-backs but will be met with an incoming player w/o having too much space. A recurrent patterns also used by PSG.
What #Barcelona could improve is the decision-making in this case, where positioning is far from ideal. Araujo tries to reach the forwards but the ball is lost on the second ball, a sub-optimal & unnecessary lost of possession. More patience is needed in the build-up.
#Barcelona also need to move more in possession, a plaguing 'laziness' that comes w/in a lack of movement off the ball, though it's most likely due to a lack of interpretation. Need stability but also need to destabilize the opposite block to move it.
The back-line also needs to stay more vigilant, here's a pass that should've been prevented/better dealt with. Half of Barcelona's back-line is eliminated & that is exactly what any manager would want on the wing of #Vinicius . Lack of attention/interpretation.
An improvement that wasn't often mentioned is that FdJ joined Busquets to create the midfield four at the base (2+2 shape) & Dembélé received well. Easier to move the Madrid block, very good response from Barcelona to involve Busquets in ball progression.
Another match where #Gavi has to be mentioned, elite maturity to decide to run diagonally in the opposite direction so that Frenkie's movement helps split Madrid. FdJ however could've been more proactive in his movement to split Madrid further w/ immediate effect.
#Barcelona have a good foundation in possession around zonal occupation but it can be improved. A bit too much focus on one side where numerical superiority could not be generated & fail to realize the creation of bridges when switching towards the other side.
Barcelona's ideas against those type of blocks remain too rigid, whether that's ingrained from past or match-specific interpretation: It's good, but it can be better. Easy to understand Barcelona's intentions & therefore Madrid could easily prevent it w/o sweating much.
#Frenkie needs to improve on his movement prior to reception, too focused on the ball & not his own reception. Victim of his own will & finds himself in sub-optimal conditions to receive the ball despite expecting to help out in overcoming Madrid's pressure.
Remains to understand how #Barcelona failed to learn from its error around tracking Vinicius Jr, popping up regularly behind his defender. Once again it's #Modric who's responsible for the brilliant pass that goes over Barcelona's head. The momentum is horrific.
#Barcelona started improving more than ever once #Real had forgotten the existence of Busquets: Once he had the ball, Barcelona found it easier to progress within deep & it's a classic error that repeated itself, especially after the 1-0. Time, space and angles for Busquets.
Part of the risks associated w/ Xavi's set-up is relying on interpretation in those situations where the player is focused on the ball instead of the zone. Expected from Vinicius & quickly understand w/ his teammates how to prevent it w/o much complication.
This comment can be seen upon subjectivity but I heavily disliked this instance w/ Araujo going higher up & the rest not following logically/adapting & that meant combination upon loss of millisecs that allowed Madrid to progress.
Part of the issues w/ #JordiAlba that are rarely mentioned is his hastiness/lack of calm upon ball dispossession deeper up where he focused on looking forwards & not other options. Doesn't exert any form of control & can lead to dispossession in dangerous areas.
#Stability is an issue of #FdJ too, who off the ball doesn't necessarily know where to go & therefore wrecks himself physically w/ unnecessary effort. Helping progression by creating options/lanes to pass in/through would've helped Barcelona significantly.
The first goal from #Madrid can easily be explained through this frame: Araujo is placed higher up to engage (why?) & the rest is unable/not fit enough to track Vinicius back (interpretation but also physical). As a consequence, you get Vini + space, formula that = goal.
Barcelona's off the ball movement when Busquets was about to launch long-balls made more sense following the goal, as the team faked runs while Ferran + Dembélé stayed wide (Madrid was less lenient on Ferran which might explain why he did not shine specifically).
When Ferran was less watched on as a consequence of Busquets x FdJ x Dembélé on the right, Ferran was allowed more space to breathe & Mendy's awareness & lack of advantage in the situation meant Ferran was helpful in dismantling Madrid's fragile structure.
A big issue of Madrid allowing Barcelona to stay higher up as they preferred to absorb pressure following the goal is that FdJ now left the half-space as Alba x Dembéle (Jordi for width, Ousmane for width) allowed FdJ to be one man more in the box. Easier crossing announced.
#FdJ also thrived in pure chaotic football as Madrid left tons of space in transitions & was inattentive to late movement, which allowed FdJ + Gavi to alternate possibles lanes that provoked Madrid into uncertainty & allowed Barcelona to gain the momentum.
FdJ continued in transitions to adapt & would arrive late w/ options wide or central arrivals in Madrid's box depending on #Dembele , should Alba not come in. Understandably so, lead to difficult decisions & that is how FdJ should be used.
To my sense, #Barcelona should prioritize this structure where Piqué anticipates (best of the back-line at it, arguably), and having Araujo x Alba to cover for him, which remains safe but should not remain a permanent strategy but would make sense in that situation.
Lastly, want to mention that Barcelona's off the ball structure when defending deep is starting to improve w/ less panic & denies more 2v1/3v2 situations wide or centrally & that is a very good sign for Xavi going forward.
End of thread. Hopefully you liked it.
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