El Clasico was heartbreaking for Barça.
To play that well & lose is enough to derail a whole season. But somehow, it was still a positive experience.
Despite the loss, Xavi showed us glimpses of this team's potential.
He showed us a team that can achieve greatness.
|THREAD|
To play that well & lose is enough to derail a whole season. But somehow, it was still a positive experience.
Despite the loss, Xavi showed us glimpses of this team's potential.
He showed us a team that can achieve greatness.
|THREAD|
Barcelona want to win every game; they need to win every game.
It’s the demand of being an elite and historic club, it’s the winning culture, the mentality and the foundation of their legacy.
And Clasicos? Well, in Clasicos all of that applies; only times a million.
It’s the demand of being an elite and historic club, it’s the winning culture, the mentality and the foundation of their legacy.
And Clasicos? Well, in Clasicos all of that applies; only times a million.
Clasicos don’t care about form; they don't care about financial situations; they don't care about coaching experience & injuries; you have to win. Every. Single. Time. It’s just the way it is.
So to lose one is always going to hurt. Always.
But greatness is a long-term project.
So to lose one is always going to hurt. Always.
But greatness is a long-term project.
And that project is well underway under Xavi.
The work he's doing deserves to be recognised and it was apparent in the Clasico as well; Xavi coached it brilliantly.
Here's a full video review of the clash in our latest YouTube analysis. 📽
youtube.com
The work he's doing deserves to be recognised and it was apparent in the Clasico as well; Xavi coached it brilliantly.
Here's a full video review of the clash in our latest YouTube analysis. 📽
youtube.com
What we saw in the first half is exactly what Barcelona should be all about.
They are a team built for technical excellence and once they are also coached for technical excellence, long-term success will be just a matter of time.
That is the foundation to build upon.
They are a team built for technical excellence and once they are also coached for technical excellence, long-term success will be just a matter of time.
That is the foundation to build upon.
Modern football dictates that full control is impossible for the entirety of 90 minutes, especially against elite-level opposition.
But Barça work best when they have that control or at least aspire to have it.
The team is built for that; they are built to play a certain way.
But Barça work best when they have that control or at least aspire to have it.
The team is built for that; they are built to play a certain way.
Ahead of Shakhtar Xavi said: 'The model of play is what’s important' & after the Clasico he continued: 'Believe me, if we play this way, we will win the league.'
Why?
The profiles within the squad are built to play that way & respecting it is how you achieve long-term success.
Why?
The profiles within the squad are built to play that way & respecting it is how you achieve long-term success.
This game may have been a game of two halves but what we saw in the first half was enough to tell you Xavi's Barcelona can do great things.
From team selection, their control, not forcing play, adapting to the opposition and playing to their strengths - everything was on point.
From team selection, their control, not forcing play, adapting to the opposition and playing to their strengths - everything was on point.
For 55 minutes straight, Barcelona were the better team & for 55 minutes straight, Xavi outcoached Ancelotti, a man who’s been in the managerial game in some way since the early ‘90s.
Whatever you may think of Xavi & whatever you may think of Ancelotti, that's no small feat.
Whatever you may think of Xavi & whatever you may think of Ancelotti, that's no small feat.
Here's a snippet from our video analysis showing some of Xavi's principles in possession against Real Madrid.
He knew how to set the team up for success and he knew how to adapt to Ancelotti's system.
That's great coaching 👇
He knew how to set the team up for success and he knew how to adapt to Ancelotti's system.
That's great coaching 👇
But if that’s so, why did Barcelona lose? Was it Xavi’s inexperience? Were injuries and a depleted squad to blame? Was it Ancelotti adapting? Was it just rotten luck?
Intriguingly, it was all of that. ⏬
Intriguingly, it was all of that. ⏬
Real's domination culminated in two goals but Barcelona could’ve and should’ve done more with their domination.
That's the crucial difference between the two: one needs to generate a lot to gain little while the other can generate little to gain a lot.
That's the crucial difference between the two: one needs to generate a lot to gain little while the other can generate little to gain a lot.
And a lot of it comes down to the lack of elite finishers in the team or the lack of 'killers' in attack.
In elite football, differences between teams are often so marginal that quality - or lack thereof - in key areas can cost you the game.
Depth is therefore crucial. ⏬
In elite football, differences between teams are often so marginal that quality - or lack thereof - in key areas can cost you the game.
Depth is therefore crucial. ⏬
Ancelotti changed the game with his subs while Xavi's added more fuel to the fire. Why?
Well, one turned to the bench and saw Modric and Camavinga while the other saw a medicated Lewandowski, a still not sharp Raphinha, a struggling Romeu and a bunch of kids.
Not ideal. 😬
Well, one turned to the bench and saw Modric and Camavinga while the other saw a medicated Lewandowski, a still not sharp Raphinha, a struggling Romeu and a bunch of kids.
Not ideal. 😬
But the subs themselves, while needed, were counterproductive.
Real were wrestling back control & sustaining pressure so by adding Romeu, who is susceptible to being pressed, & Lewandowski, who isn't an outlet, you're making things even more tricky.
Barcelona couldn't escape.
Real were wrestling back control & sustaining pressure so by adding Romeu, who is susceptible to being pressed, & Lewandowski, who isn't an outlet, you're making things even more tricky.
Barcelona couldn't escape.
In short, Xavi turned to his bench and was suddenly struck by reality: he was facing his eternal rival in one of the biggest games on the planet and he had brought a knife to a gunfight.
All Barcelona could do was survive.
And Real with momentum are difficult to survive.
All Barcelona could do was survive.
And Real with momentum are difficult to survive.
Still, from team selection, adapting to the opposition, playing to our own strengths & the general approach, Barcelona did everything right. And it showed.
More possession, passes, xG, positional attacks, counters, set pieces... Great across the phases. 👌
But it wasn't enough.
More possession, passes, xG, positional attacks, counters, set pieces... Great across the phases. 👌
But it wasn't enough.
The foundation, however, is firm.
A Clasico loss hurts more than most defeats in football. But a Clasico loss is also just that; three points in a 38-game season, 90 minutes in thousands we're yet to play and a drop of water in an ocean.
We lost the battle but can win the war.
A Clasico loss hurts more than most defeats in football. But a Clasico loss is also just that; three points in a 38-game season, 90 minutes in thousands we're yet to play and a drop of water in an ocean.
We lost the battle but can win the war.
This team is young and Xavi is young and green too. We will learn from this.
But we also learned the team is too incomplete, too thin & too injury-prone to sustain greatness for a full 90 minutes, let alone an impeccable season.
They can get there, though.
One step at a time.
But we also learned the team is too incomplete, too thin & too injury-prone to sustain greatness for a full 90 minutes, let alone an impeccable season.
They can get there, though.
One step at a time.
A much more detailed analysis can be found on our blog.
We talked about the tactical setups, substitutes, players and some key stats from the game.
Read it for FREE down below! 👇
barcafutbol.blog
We talked about the tactical setups, substitutes, players and some key stats from the game.
Read it for FREE down below! 👇
barcafutbol.blog
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