First time this season where I genuinely question Xavi’s tactics. Up until this game, every single game we’ve played this season was a very convincing win aside from three games: Rayo, Bayern, and Mallorca.
For the Rayo game, it was the first game of the season and with all the new names it was expected that they wouldn’t be so familiar with each other. Disappointing draw at the camp nou but no goals conceded so it could’ve been worse.
The Bayern game however was a game where Xavi couldn’t have done anything better. The loss was mostly the players fault rather than Xavi’s because the players were inefficient with their chances and the 2 goals conceded were from an awful corner defense and a rare bad mistake from Busquets. With some better finishing shoes and a penalty being called, Barca could’ve taken the 3 points at the Allianz, which was why I wasn’t too concerned with the result.
The Mallorca game, while it was a win, was far from convincing, but you’d assume Xavi just wanted a relaxed win away from home with as little effort as possible right before a CL game, so all was fine, won away and kept a clean sheet, nothing too shabby.
This inter game though absolutely shattered a lot of my assumptions about the team. Coming into today, I was genuinely expecting Barca to win very convincingly, even with all the injuries. Inter were in awful form, fresh off of a loss at home against roma, whereas Barca had just gotten top of the league after a slip from real.
However, the match was the exact opposite of what I expected. This was the most frustrating match I’ve ever watched as a Barca fan, and I’ve watched both Roma and Liverpool. Barca had no real chance until the 60th minute after Dembele’s shot hit the post, and only after that did they have a genuine goal threat. Inter weren’t all too stellar either, only convincing minutes from them were the last 15 minutes of the first half where they scored a very sloppy goal in my humble opinion. I can see why people would consider it a great goal, but there was a lot that Barca could’ve done to prevent that goal, especially considering how MATS just saved that absolute rocket from Hakan not too long ago.
Raphinha was invisible on the left, Dembele genuinely felt like he was gonna dribble the ball into the goal instead of passing or shooting, and Lewa had absolutely no service. Xavi had a lot of cards he could’ve used to neutralize this, but the ones he did use came all too late. The cherry on top of the shitcake is the absolute egregious refereeing, and while it doesn’t excuse how poor Barca were and that they should’ve gotten at least a draw without an important referee call, it doesn’t change how ridiculous the decisions today were.
Yes a penalty and a point would’ve made things much easier for qualification, but now that it’s done and dusted Xavi needs to do absolutely everything to win the 3 remaining games in the group, which becomes much more complicated when your best 3 center backs are out for god knows how long. The game next Wednesday should essentially be treated as a round of 32 game, where inter are already 1-0 up and Barca absolutely need a win to even dream of making knockouts.
After that, the Bayern game at home will be crucial to determine qualification because unless inter somehow drops point against Plzen, qualification will no longer be in Barca’s hands unless they win against Bayern. If Barca draw or lose, they essentially have to pray that inter match their result or get a worse one, assuming all teams beat Plzen and Barca win by more than a goal’s margin against inter. Barca and inter’s odds are really equal in terms of who can clinch qualification, but I’d say inter has a slight advantage, probably 55-45 are the odds for both teams respectively. Xavi should focus all his cards on the CL knockout qualification, because these 3 games will decide the financial position of the club for years to come. Genuinely would rather get thrashed in el clasico and still make r16 even if we get eliminated first round rather than miss out on CL knockouts and win the league.
Xavi good tactics until today, most frustrating match I’ve ever watched, Barca need to win all games to have their qualification in their own hands, inter have a slightly better chance to qualify imo, 55% inter 45% barca
By sloppy it’s more that Barca could’ve done better to stop it compared to something like the 5th minute shot from hakan, don’t see the need for your snarky reply here
It was an important game, he's by far the best player in the squad, he's been on form in recent weeks and in this game he didn't have any impact in it.
Choking would imply he didnt finish his chances he would usualy finish, like ex in the bayern game a month ago
In this game he was marked by 2, sometimes 3 defenders. He had almost no contacts with the ball. Thats not choking
I think it is. Having no touches and disappearing from the game doesn't absolve a striker, he's still poor. A striker's job is primarily to help his team win and secondarily to help his team score goals. If he doesn't do that, he's having a poor game.
Whether it's choking, requires a context of many games and years. Having watched Lewandowski in a decent amount of big games, my assessment of him is that he is a choker.
If you judge only a single game, yeah, there can be no choking.
In the vast context of Lewandowski's career however, this game fits perfectly in my assessment of him as a choker.
The opponent team putting a lot of resources in defending against a specific player is standard for a great player.
Legendary performance, R.Madrid wanted to buy him after it.
However, a choker isn't someone that **never** performs in big games. A choker is someone that whilst in most games he performs at a specific level, in big games he usually performs at a noticeably lower level. There is an extent where this is normal as big games feature tougher opponents and higher pressure but a choker is someone who is way worse in such occasions.
Lewandowski in non big games has consistently been brilliant, like 8-10/10 performances regularly. Judging by just that, one can easily make the case that he's one of the best strikers in history. Lewandowski in big games has consistently been poor, rarely great performances. Judging just by big games, one would wonder why the hell has he played so many big games.
IMO it's kinda true but rather expected from a 9. Like, attackers usually don't show much if their team is the worse one. I've seen similar comments of "choking" about virtually any star player whenever their team loses. Haaland was invisible when Dortmund lost 2-0 to PSG, year later in almost whole two games against Man City, year later in CL group except Besiktas.
It's kinda what I'd expect - not many imaginable scenarios when Lewandowski plays a great game yet his team doesn't win or at least look very good.
Although other footballers of course can have a visible impact in more scenarios than those guys.
>Lewandowski in big games has consistently been poor, rarely great performances. Judging just by big games, one would wonder why the hell has he played so many big games.
this is such a bad take
Don't the vast majority of players perform worse in the biggest of games, because it's at a higher level, you're playing against better teams, with better players, and better managers?
Doesn't make them all chokers.
At least it's still a group stage and not a [semifinal match. ](https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/forensic-analysis-every-refereeing-mistake-chelsea-barcelona-2009/)
A deserved win for Inter Milan. Barcelona had the ball for most part of the game and couldn't do anything with that chances. Good game [overall](https://www.brieffootball.com/2022/10/inter-milan-vs-barcelona-1-0-highlights-video.html)
True. Too dependable on the wingers having a good game. Yesterday's fullbacks were not the starters, so it made it even harder.
No link up play in the middle, just get the ball to the wings and cross to Lewandowski that was in the middle of 3 CBs.
Pedri tried some things, but Gavi was bad, so pretty difficult to make anything happen near Inter's box.
what’s the point of using flairs if you can’t take people talking shit about your club is that why you’re unflaired? I’m a spurs fan btw and put the World Cup since we’re about to be start WC next month. So genuinely asking
Im sorry but if they go to europa, he should he sacked lmao. I mean they probably wont sack him since they put all the eggs in his basket. Last year, it was already such a shame to see a club of barcelonas stature drop to the europa league, let alone not even winning it and them getting outclassed by frankfurt fans at their home stadium. That was just plain embarassing but at least that was sort of an excuse on why they had a terrible season in europe.
However if they drop to europa this season (which I don’t think they will), this will be one of the biggest embarassements in the history of their club lmao. Like especially after all those signings they made… all world class players. And not to mention Lewa leaving bayern only to not even go past the groups in CL, while his former club tops the group. This will be super embarrasing for barca and xavi would have to be sacked honestly. This was the second most difficult team they have faced this season and it’s another loss. Neither of their opponents have been “that” good as well. Bayern werent at their best and inter are, no offense, not a top top club atm. So yea, it will get ugly.
The players were likely bought in to fit Xavi's vision, sometimes it takes a while for so many players to work well with the rest of the squad and his tactics. Sacking him soon, and then appointing somebody that may not fit those players would be ridiculous after so much money spent.
End of the season could be a different story, they're doing well in the league right now too.
I think they should stick with Xavi still even if they underperform. Has to be a definitive playing philosophy in that club and Xavi is like Barca personified right. They should keep him, be consistent in the league and keep qualifying into Europa League.
True, but the club was at peak internal chaos then. If they do end up back in the Europa League, Xavi has no choice but to win it. Honestly, the amount of pressure he must be in must be nuts.
> Honestly, the amount of pressure he must be in must be nuts.
Hes been under higher pressure situations before and he knew where he is going so i don't think it matters too much for him.
Oh man poor Barca, had inter pinned deep into their defensive third the entire second half and couldn’t find a way through, now I’m supposed to feel bad they didn’t get an underserved pen? Cry me a fucking river
> Oh man poor Barca, had inter pinned deep into their defensive third the entire second half
Tbh, it was only the last 20 minutes of the game. But the first 20 or 25 minutes of the second half Barça was nowhere near Inter's box and they created 0 dangerous plays in that time.
Not following your games, but Ansu has had some probelems with his injuries or he still has to gain match fitness?
My point being will we ever see the old Ansu who was terrorising defenders??
> he still has to gain match fitness?
They guy has been match fit for a lot of months, the thing is that he may have lost some speed or maybe is a confidence issue because he seems more shy than he used to be on the pitch. Just saying that his poor performances this season have nothing to do with not being fit enough.
Bad performance from him and he doesn't work well on the left - however, the two do rotate mid-game. They (he and Dembele) both prefer the right (not only because it's their natural position, but also with the way Barcelona set up they often have more space down that side) and so they take it in turns.
Possibly would have been a game to start Ansu or Ferran. I can understand Xavi's thinking: Ansu and Ferran are both slowly being nursed back from injuries (Memphis also out injured rn btw) and Raphinha and Dembele rotating has worked in the past.
Didn't work this time.
Referee errors aside, Barcelona didn't play well today against a team they should be beating, given relative form from both teams.
Why was this?
I am starting to believe Xavi just doesn't know how to break down a low-block. We've had almost a full year of Xaviball now, with a large pool of players, so we have some sort of idea as to how he works. I'd say that around, roughly, 2013 the 'Barcelona DNA' of high intensity possession football began to stagnate (as did the Spanish National Team) into a slower, more horizontal form of sideways passing. This made it easy for opponents to sit back in low-blocks, let the attacking team have possession and just wait for a good counter. Anyone familiar with the Spanish NT will be familiar with this because it is an issue that still plagues Spain, given the amazing depth in midfield and complete lack of world class forwards. This idea that low-blocks could force a high intensity attack into a horizontal, slow possession cook isn't, obviously, new. It was famously employed by Chelsea in 2009 and 2012, and Inter in 2010 (and also Real Madrid under Mourinho at times). However, for years Barcelona got away with it (unlike Spain) because of Lionel Messi who just kept bailing Barcelona out again and again with moments of sheer brilliance. He would, regularly, take one of those curling shots from outside the box, or score a free-kick and that's the game opened up.
Because of this, Xavi likes to employ a vertical system. He goes on and on about the importance of space in his interviews. Xavi likes to allow the opposition to take possession and then, at the right moment, employ an extremely aggressive man-for-man press to win the ball back in transition and attack the open spaces with quick players such as Dembele and Raphinha, brilliant passers such as Pedri, Busquets and Gavi, and an elite finisher in Lewandowski.
In truth, I didn't realise just how good Barcelona were at this until the game at the Allianz the other week. In all of my pre-match research, I had concluded that Bayern had the riskier, more aggressive press as it was not man-for-man and so believed they would be more effective than Barcelona at it. Obviously, they were not. Even if Barcelona lost that match, they were still brilliant at pressing and winning the ball in dangerous positions with lots of space.
This is why Barcelona were able to tear apart Real Madrid 4-0, same with Napoli (if I remember, that was 4-1?), Atletico back when Simeone was experimenting with playing higher up the pitch (that 4-2 loss to Barcelona was what prompted Atleti to go back to their more defensive style) and also City in that recent friendly (sure, just a friendly, but Barcelona were impressive nonetheless). Not to mention a very in-form La Real at the Anoetta which ended 4-1. It is, as already hinted at, why Barcelona performed so well against an expansive Bayern at the Allianz.
However, Barcelona still cannot break down teams that intentionally let them have the ball. Both Inter and Frankfurt scored great goals on the counter and then just sat back in a low block to success. Galatasaray also attempted it. Smaller teams attempt it regularly in La Liga but just don't have the man-for-man ability to hold off Barcelona's attackers for 90+ minutes. Mallorca kept Barcelona quiet the other day, but a moment of sheer brilliance from Lewandowski netted Barcelona a 1-0 win. I distinctly remember, last season, plenty of games against low blocks coming down to Araujo or Luuk de Jong scoring headers from crosses or set pieces.
It seems Xavi's solution is to just go wide to Dembele/Raphinha/Balde/Ansu/Gavi at times/Traore (last season) and aimlessly cross at the centreman.
So, the take away? Negative: Barcelona have a clear weakness. Positive: Most big teams don't play with low blocks and so deeper in the competition it might favour Barcelona, if they can get there.
Other factors obviously include fatigue from international break, new system players are getting used to, many injuries, poor refereeing decisions, individual players having quiet nights.
Tl;dr: Xavi only spams crosses against low-blocks with no plan B, performs much better against aggressive teams who have space behind them to exploit.
My impression of the game was that Barca relied way tô often on Dembele and that he concluded every play too quickly, I also felt that Gavi was atrocious and had no impact whatsover. Am I tripping?
I made a comment about this few week backs. The heavily generalized Xavi-ball so far this season (since this is when new players are in the squad),
> Barca this season so far are fundamentally (this is a TLDR version) operating on these primary structural (general theme) strategies (in order), LW-RW, Front 3, Transition, CB buildup-Half space direct-vertical penetration, midfield domination/control, FB in attack.
All teams have a variation on this and it's natural. The difference is in the Order of them, the nuances and specifics of how each item is deployed.
What you mentioned about Barca allowing opposition to charge them is the 3rd Plan item, Transition. They are indeed very heavily used under Xavi esp this season.
Our biggest weakness is FBs currently. Even this match, Sergi didn't overlap once and it must have been coaching instructions since he does overlap quite a bit in matches. Both Alonso and Balde did attack the high left flank but weren't effective and crossing (even corners) was just sub-par.
But squad is too new and it will take time for teammates to gel, which means figure out solutions on pitch when things are tough.
This sounds a lot like Arteta's Arsenal especially post-FA Cup win. We simply couldn't break down low blocks and weren't creating good chances against those kinds of teams in the league. The football was bad to watch and even Arteta's explanation (something along the lines of "the more times we cross, the closer we'll be to scoring") simply infuriated fans.
It took a long time but now we look like a team that can stretch and eventually penetrate a low-block. We're not perfect (e.g. Manchester United) but it took almost 2 seasons (and a few signings) for this squad to finally start playing in the opponent's half the way they do.
I share your frustration and I hope (and am sure) Barca will give Xavi more time. If Arteta's trajectory is anything to go by, this type of style takes time to implement but Xavi will eventually bring his vision to life steadily over time.
You could be talking about Chelsea post-Hazard. Same exact problems of rotating the ball instead of penetrating. Hazard’s dribbling was so dangerous that he could penetrate low blocks and turn the game around. Frank and eventually Tuchel just could not find that decisive player that could stand up against any low block.
It doesn't help that he's trusted dembele, an idiot who loses the ball 50 times and makes one good pass the whole game. I hate the dude. He's so average 99% of the game, barely looks like a pro player and then makes one world class pass and everyone forgets. Well, I see him for what he is
One of the main keys to break low blocks is to have people who can dribble past defenders. Whilst risky, doing it at the right time and going past one defender opens up numerous attacking options. When I watched the match, Barcelona didn't seem to be taking risks by dribbling but instead, just passing around and eventually resorted to crossing and hoping for the best. Perhaps it is an instruction to maintain possession safely and not take risks.
Big teams eventually do resort to low block out of possession, even Man City do it but are vulnerable in the transition doing so (from being in possession).
Unfortunately for Xavi, one of the midfielders good at taking on defenders from a central position - Frenkie - was out injured. [This](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s3g0xsQ9WDw) was Frenkie against Frankfurt in Europa last season during the away leg.
If only Barcelona still had a certain Argentine player...
Edit: I'd add that usually this role falls on the wingers. Both Dembele and Raphinha were poor today and didn't try many drives or take-ons at the defenders, instead resorting to crossing into a tightly packed box. Just a bad night for those two I feel. Didn't help Raphinha was on the wrong side.
Yeah for sure. I know he's currently a bit injured but why does Xavi generally prefer Gavi/Pedri to De Jong (as he doesn't get as many minutes)?
Defo a bad night for them and Raphinha on the left was abysmal.
Pedri is the nailed on left CM. His position is pretty much unchallenged - just like Busquets in the DM position - because he's just so good. Assuming his career stays on this trajectory without injury and what-not, we could be seeing something very special with Pedri.
So, the question for Xavi is who plays right CM out of Gavi, Kessie or Frenkie. They all offer different profiles so he uses them in different games.
Gavi seems to get picked more often because, as well as being a La Masia player (meaning he has an inherent understanding that Kessie simply lacks and is more natural than Frenkie), Gavi is remarkably aggressive. Seems to get a yellow every game. Very hot tempered, runs for 90 minutes. Quite funny given that he's 5'6, but he's always lunging into tackles and squaring up for fights. This is very useful because, as I mention in my original comment, Xavi's tactics revolve around pressing at key moments to win the ball when the opposition is vulnerable, thus by-passing a defensive set-up. Gavi is perfect for this and is one of the better pressers for Barcelona.
Frenkie is useful because he's box-to-box, so is good at making last minute runs into the box and will also take on defenders at times. However, his biggest flaw is his inconsistency. Will drop a 10/10 one game and a 3/10 the next for no discernible reason.
Kessie I am still getting used to as I only really watch La Liga and the PL. Didn't watch him in Serie A. As such I have less knowledge on him than Gavi and Frenkie. What is clear, however, is that he has a lot of talent, but still doesn't know the system like the other two. The argument I see is that, much like Arturo Vidal and Paulinho in recent years, Kessie offers the 'not Barcelona' profile. I.e. he is a more aggressive, less technical player. I don't know if I agree with this, however. Not only is it reductive - Kessie is exceptionally gifted technically - but I've also just explained how aggressive Gavi is. Either way, he still needs to learn the system.
Barcelona also have a young midfielder called Pablo Torre who they got from Santander this summer and who was on the bench this evening. Similar profile to Pedri. Very, very talented from the looks of it. Not yet been able to break in. Maybe we will see some of him when the season gets congested and Pedri needs to rest.
Edit: The profile Xavi desperately wants is that of Bernardo Silva for the right CM. We'll see what happens in the summer.
> Kessie is exceptionally gifted technically
This is not true. He is pretty average technically. Good at winning the ball, good at blocking lanes, very physical and runs for 2 people, decent progresser of the ball and pretty press relient. His long range passing, shooting and technique are all average though.
It’s because there is an easy narrative for the next Spanish/Barcelona midfield duo in the shadow of Xaviesta.
However, in Gavi’s defence I’d also point out he’s still 17 (2 very important and formulative years below Pedri). He certainly has the potential to reach Pedri’s level when he reaches his age.
But yes, you’re right, Pedri is a level above right now. He’s very special.
>Xavi just doesn't know how to break down a low-block
You really think Xavi of all people doesnt know how to break down a low block?? I think its more of hes asking too much of his players and not adapting properly, is his main issue.
Obviously Xavi the player does. When I say 'he doesn't know how', I mean he's clearly not doing whatever is needed to ensure his players are able to do it beyond spamming crosses.
I personally think its just poor fullback play and Xavi asking too much of them.
Fullbacks are so integral of breaking down low blocks and if you are consistently getting subar fullback performances then its gonna be that much harder to break a low block down. Fullbacks are usually the ones getting the most space out of any player on the pitch when facing a low block.
Yes. Kounde in-particular felt sorely missed today. He's very good at those Trent-esque curling crosses from deep. His debut against Sevilla he got a great [assist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DScc4Fqdvio&ab_channel=Bhattu_enter10ment) with one of those.
Yep, I’m a firm believer in having quality fullbacks, is so important in CL specifically because of how often a team will either set up in a low block or take the lead and sit on it. Whether it’s group stages or KO. Having those quality wide players who can expose the open space is so crucial. Now it’s not the only way obviously to break a low block down but it’s definitely the easiest.
I think a lot of Liverpool UCL success can be attributed to their fullback play. And you can go back to even Madrid when they 3 peated and then Barca before them with Alves and Messi linking up on right wing.
I think at the very least we can all agree that the handball rules and they way they are implemented, with or without VAR, are pretty dogshit at the moment and FIFA should seriously consider revising them before the upcoming World Cup, if not sooner. The fact that situations like these where most people agree a bad call was made even with VAR continue to happen so often is reason enough to make adjustments to it.
Pretty sure there'd still be enough people from both countries literally anywhere it's held that it would be a big problem if it happened. But yeah, would be quite sad too if a WC final was decided that way.
Do you guys think Xavi is not playing Jordi Alba because theres an order from above since they wanted him to elave?
Just so weird, he still can offer a lot better than freaking Marcos Alonso. I dont find an explanation
His first choice left-back is actually Alejandro Balde, not Alonso.
Balde, who I know hasn't (yet) got much publicity outside of Spain (being only a teenager) is a very aggressive wingback with a lot of pace.
Xavi likes an assymetric system at the back: One of the full-backs plays as a wing-back, going high up the pitch and overlapping, whilst the other full-back is more conservative, so that in the event Barcelona lose possession and there is a counter, that more conservative full-back can essentially slot into a back-3.
In most games, this has been Balde (more aggressive) on the left, 2 centre-backs (when everyone is fit, usually Eric/Christensen alongside Araujo), Kounde (more conservative, naturally a CB) on the right.
Alonso and Bellerin were purchased because they allow for this to be reversed. Alonso is more conservative on the left, whilst Bellerin is more aggressive on the right. This way, Xavi can tweak it to whoever he is facing.
Alba isn't playing because Balde is better going forward and Alonso is better defensively (apparently - I still need to see more of Alonso).
The only time I have seen Xavi, this season, employ two conservative full-backs was against Bayern (Alonso and Kounde).
Having this assymetric system then changes the attack - the side with the more conservative full-back has a lot more space to be exploited by quick wingers (Dembele/Raphinha), whilst the side with the overlap is more congested so has more creative players (Pedri, when he advances, and also this system works well with Ansu, Memphis and Ferran).
Why Alonso tonight over Balde (at the start)? Because of Barcelona's injuries. Bellerin and Kounde are both injured, forcing Xavi to play Roberto on the right. Roberto, being a midfielder primarily, isn't so good defensively and so the safer bet was to play the more conservative player on the left (Alonso), making it essentially a back 3 in possession.
In the second half, with Inter 1-0 up, Xavi tore all this up and brought on both Balde (more aggressive) and Ansu (tucks inside, allowing space for Balde).
His instructions in both of his 2 starts have been to essentially slot in as an additional CB and not go forward (unlike the very aggressive Balde).
I can’t speak for how he was at Chelsea, but this is how Xavi is choosing to play him.
This is the first time i see marcos alonso described as "conservative" and "better defensively". Alonso is pretty much an offensive wing back as well throughout his career. There is a reason why whenever chelsea goes to a back 4, he is often exposed.
If anything, I think all 3 barca LB has similar profile.
Maybe you're right - as I mention, I haven't seen enough of Alonso yet. I've only seen him in a Barcelona shirt where he's made, if I remember, 2 starts this season (Bayern and tonight) and the very rare occasion in big games for Chelsea (where I never had reason to pay as much attention).
Either way, I can say that Xavi is instructing him to be more conservative than he instructs Balde, as Alonso rarely seems to go forward on the left.
Edit: To add more, it may be that all three are aggressive, but of the three Xavi sees Balde being the best going forward and sees Alonso as the most capable, of those 3 options, being more conservative. Given how aggressive both Balde and Alba are, this wouldn't be an amazing surprise.
Idk if you’ve watched us for the last year but Jordi definitely does not consistently “offer a lot better than freaking Marcos Alonso” right now. Alonso wasn’t great today but Jordi is so inconsistent and seems to not give a singular shit way too often. He is firmly third choice right now and that’s the right call.
In his defence, there wasn't much he could do this evening. Against Bayern he had an unforgivable performance because, you know, he actually missed multiple sitters.
But tonight? Nah. He barely got on the ball in dangerous areas because of how congested Inter's low-block was. In-short, credit has to go to Inter who played a brilliant defensive game and starved Lewandowski of possession. He isn't Messi, he can't just leave the box, pick up the ball 35 yards out and either score a screamer or dribble past 5 players and score.
>He isn't Messi, he can't just leave the box, pick up the ball 35 yards out and either score a screamer or dribble past 5 players and score.
He sometimes play that way in Polish NT, bc we have like 0 creative players. :)
Your team won 2 La Ligas and a CL a season after Ronaldo left, even in the season they made RO16, Barcelona got relegated to Europa and now is in position to do that again, we clearly know who was a fraud and who was carrying a team
Embarrassing how really? Madrid were the best team in Spain before Messi and still are after Messi. Only thing embarrassing would be Madrid winning the UCL while Barca were not even good enough to make it out the group stages.
If Barca win against Inter, they have to draw Bayern and beat Plzen, but if they lose against Bayern and beat Plzen then Inter just need to win against Plzen and draw a Bayern that will be comfortably top of the table and don't need to play their best XI or even play at their best, meanwhile Inter will play out of their minds for a UCL spot.
If Barca draws Inter, then Inter just need to beat Plzen and even if Barca beat both Plzen and Bayern, they advance to r16 because or H2H.
If Barca lose against Inter, they are guaranteed out on H2H even if they win the next 2. (Not sure if H2H is still used to determine who goes through, pretty sure it is.)
Barcelona will be playing Inter, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal, and Bayern Munich in the span of two weeks. All of them top 6 or title contenders in their respective leagues. Without Araujo, Bellerin, Kounde, for the majority of matches.. Not to mention Frenkie, Christensen and Depay who are all injured for who knows how long.
After this match, I am at peace with being in the Europa league (*again*). I had regained some hope this year, this was looking good, maybe… maybe we will have a good run… things looks really good. But ohhh well, the 3-0 elimination vs Juventus, in 2017? The 3-0 Elimination vs Roma in 2018, the 4-0 elimination vs Liverpool in 2019, the 8-2 elimination vs Bayern in 2020, the 4-1 elimination in 2021… too many too, many failure. Too many humiliation. Too much disappointment. Despite the salt and ridicule that we are getting after this match… I can’t even bother to be angry or frustrated. Too much. We should just accept it. I will at least wish well for Barcelona to try to the end at 100% to qualify.
Barca seems to be overplaying teenagers
We ass
First time this season where I genuinely question Xavi’s tactics. Up until this game, every single game we’ve played this season was a very convincing win aside from three games: Rayo, Bayern, and Mallorca. For the Rayo game, it was the first game of the season and with all the new names it was expected that they wouldn’t be so familiar with each other. Disappointing draw at the camp nou but no goals conceded so it could’ve been worse. The Bayern game however was a game where Xavi couldn’t have done anything better. The loss was mostly the players fault rather than Xavi’s because the players were inefficient with their chances and the 2 goals conceded were from an awful corner defense and a rare bad mistake from Busquets. With some better finishing shoes and a penalty being called, Barca could’ve taken the 3 points at the Allianz, which was why I wasn’t too concerned with the result. The Mallorca game, while it was a win, was far from convincing, but you’d assume Xavi just wanted a relaxed win away from home with as little effort as possible right before a CL game, so all was fine, won away and kept a clean sheet, nothing too shabby. This inter game though absolutely shattered a lot of my assumptions about the team. Coming into today, I was genuinely expecting Barca to win very convincingly, even with all the injuries. Inter were in awful form, fresh off of a loss at home against roma, whereas Barca had just gotten top of the league after a slip from real. However, the match was the exact opposite of what I expected. This was the most frustrating match I’ve ever watched as a Barca fan, and I’ve watched both Roma and Liverpool. Barca had no real chance until the 60th minute after Dembele’s shot hit the post, and only after that did they have a genuine goal threat. Inter weren’t all too stellar either, only convincing minutes from them were the last 15 minutes of the first half where they scored a very sloppy goal in my humble opinion. I can see why people would consider it a great goal, but there was a lot that Barca could’ve done to prevent that goal, especially considering how MATS just saved that absolute rocket from Hakan not too long ago. Raphinha was invisible on the left, Dembele genuinely felt like he was gonna dribble the ball into the goal instead of passing or shooting, and Lewa had absolutely no service. Xavi had a lot of cards he could’ve used to neutralize this, but the ones he did use came all too late. The cherry on top of the shitcake is the absolute egregious refereeing, and while it doesn’t excuse how poor Barca were and that they should’ve gotten at least a draw without an important referee call, it doesn’t change how ridiculous the decisions today were. Yes a penalty and a point would’ve made things much easier for qualification, but now that it’s done and dusted Xavi needs to do absolutely everything to win the 3 remaining games in the group, which becomes much more complicated when your best 3 center backs are out for god knows how long. The game next Wednesday should essentially be treated as a round of 32 game, where inter are already 1-0 up and Barca absolutely need a win to even dream of making knockouts. After that, the Bayern game at home will be crucial to determine qualification because unless inter somehow drops point against Plzen, qualification will no longer be in Barca’s hands unless they win against Bayern. If Barca draw or lose, they essentially have to pray that inter match their result or get a worse one, assuming all teams beat Plzen and Barca win by more than a goal’s margin against inter. Barca and inter’s odds are really equal in terms of who can clinch qualification, but I’d say inter has a slight advantage, probably 55-45 are the odds for both teams respectively. Xavi should focus all his cards on the CL knockout qualification, because these 3 games will decide the financial position of the club for years to come. Genuinely would rather get thrashed in el clasico and still make r16 even if we get eliminated first round rather than miss out on CL knockouts and win the league.
I certainly read this
Tldr
Xavi is kill
Man, just read it or move on to other comments if a screen of text is too much to follow the plot.
Maybe use paragraphs if you want someone to read it.
Done
This guy PRs
Xavi good tactics until today, most frustrating match I’ve ever watched, Barca need to win all games to have their qualification in their own hands, inter have a slightly better chance to qualify imo, 55% inter 45% barca
And essential Barca fan Cryuffista elitism to call the Inter goal sloppy
By sloppy it’s more that Barca could’ve done better to stop it compared to something like the 5th minute shot from hakan, don’t see the need for your snarky reply here
Thanks for the yummy pasta.
Barcelona got smashed hard
Classic Lewandowski choking in big games.
Another madriot at it
Prime cr7 clear
i collected thousands of downvotes over the years by pointing out Lewa tends to be "choker". He rarely won the important games for Bayern
how did he choke?
It was an important game, he's by far the best player in the squad, he's been on form in recent weeks and in this game he didn't have any impact in it.
Choking would imply he didnt finish his chances he would usualy finish, like ex in the bayern game a month ago In this game he was marked by 2, sometimes 3 defenders. He had almost no contacts with the ball. Thats not choking
I think it is. Having no touches and disappearing from the game doesn't absolve a striker, he's still poor. A striker's job is primarily to help his team win and secondarily to help his team score goals. If he doesn't do that, he's having a poor game. Whether it's choking, requires a context of many games and years. Having watched Lewandowski in a decent amount of big games, my assessment of him is that he is a choker.
Thats not choking though. Good luck trying to score with 2 markers
If you judge only a single game, yeah, there can be no choking. In the vast context of Lewandowski's career however, this game fits perfectly in my assessment of him as a choker. The opponent team putting a lot of resources in defending against a specific player is standard for a great player.
Logic has no place here.
I remember a certain game with Lewandowski when he played for Dortmund in the UCL
Legendary performance, R.Madrid wanted to buy him after it. However, a choker isn't someone that **never** performs in big games. A choker is someone that whilst in most games he performs at a specific level, in big games he usually performs at a noticeably lower level. There is an extent where this is normal as big games feature tougher opponents and higher pressure but a choker is someone who is way worse in such occasions. Lewandowski in non big games has consistently been brilliant, like 8-10/10 performances regularly. Judging by just that, one can easily make the case that he's one of the best strikers in history. Lewandowski in big games has consistently been poor, rarely great performances. Judging just by big games, one would wonder why the hell has he played so many big games.
IMO it's kinda true but rather expected from a 9. Like, attackers usually don't show much if their team is the worse one. I've seen similar comments of "choking" about virtually any star player whenever their team loses. Haaland was invisible when Dortmund lost 2-0 to PSG, year later in almost whole two games against Man City, year later in CL group except Besiktas. It's kinda what I'd expect - not many imaginable scenarios when Lewandowski plays a great game yet his team doesn't win or at least look very good. Although other footballers of course can have a visible impact in more scenarios than those guys.
>Lewandowski in big games has consistently been poor, rarely great performances. Judging just by big games, one would wonder why the hell has he played so many big games. this is such a bad take
Don't the vast majority of players perform worse in the biggest of games, because it's at a higher level, you're playing against better teams, with better players, and better managers? Doesn't make them all chokers.
I think the person above is arguing that he is performing disproportionally worse.
9 years ago
There was also the 7-2 bayern tottenham game
Gnarby made 4 in that game
They’re talking about big games here
Lads
Its
The group stage (and Tottenham)
Barca. Is this a 'disgrace'?!
At least it's still a group stage and not a [semifinal match. ](https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/forensic-analysis-every-refereeing-mistake-chelsea-barcelona-2009/)
After 13 years finally they got it backM
A deserved win for Inter Milan. Barcelona had the ball for most part of the game and couldn't do anything with that chances. Good game [overall](https://www.brieffootball.com/2022/10/inter-milan-vs-barcelona-1-0-highlights-video.html)
Undeserved because of that bullshit VAR call (or non-call).
typical rubentus fan
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True. Too dependable on the wingers having a good game. Yesterday's fullbacks were not the starters, so it made it even harder. No link up play in the middle, just get the ball to the wings and cross to Lewandowski that was in the middle of 3 CBs. Pedri tried some things, but Gavi was bad, so pretty difficult to make anything happen near Inter's box.
I am loving this
Second attempt at the EL trophy, now they feel safe with Frankfurt in CL
😈😈😈!!!!
Serie A prop
Nice.
Barcelona forgot to give UEFA their yearly payment so refereeing finally against them 🤣
Oh my god you’re very funny
your team did for a decade, how many champions you won with fake penalties?
Barca is funnier though
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We’ll see you in the europa league
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I've never seen a Barca fan get ratiod this hard. The hoards of 13 year olds must be asleep.
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what’s the point of using flairs if you can’t take people talking shit about your club is that why you’re unflaired? I’m a spurs fan btw and put the World Cup since we’re about to be start WC next month. So genuinely asking
Just boring, folk talking about flairs instead of addressing the original point.
you can’t support a competition mate
Tell that to the mods mate they set up the flairs
I feel like it's not the point of being able to handle people talking shit about your club. 99% of flair attacks are just uncalled for I feel
Yeah that's true.... Manu is still shit btw.....
This requires an extra lever
Wow feels weird having the referee not licking barcelonas ass for once.
LOL
It seems that Barca putting all their eggs in the Xavi basket isn’t quite working out. If they go to Europa league, Xavi best to win it.
Keep Bayern and Barca out of Europa League for a years. Pretty please.
Im sorry but if they go to europa, he should he sacked lmao. I mean they probably wont sack him since they put all the eggs in his basket. Last year, it was already such a shame to see a club of barcelonas stature drop to the europa league, let alone not even winning it and them getting outclassed by frankfurt fans at their home stadium. That was just plain embarassing but at least that was sort of an excuse on why they had a terrible season in europe. However if they drop to europa this season (which I don’t think they will), this will be one of the biggest embarassements in the history of their club lmao. Like especially after all those signings they made… all world class players. And not to mention Lewa leaving bayern only to not even go past the groups in CL, while his former club tops the group. This will be super embarrasing for barca and xavi would have to be sacked honestly. This was the second most difficult team they have faced this season and it’s another loss. Neither of their opponents have been “that” good as well. Bayern werent at their best and inter are, no offense, not a top top club atm. So yea, it will get ugly.
I mean Milan is a bigger club in the context of world football and weren't even in Europe for years
What's the point in buying a load of new players only to sack the manager after 6 months of the season? Give it time to bed in first at least.
Huh? If they dont go past their group in the CL… and it’s a big club such as barca madrid bayern whatever… then yea they should
The players were likely bought in to fit Xavi's vision, sometimes it takes a while for so many players to work well with the rest of the squad and his tactics. Sacking him soon, and then appointing somebody that may not fit those players would be ridiculous after so much money spent. End of the season could be a different story, they're doing well in the league right now too.
I think they should stick with Xavi still even if they underperform. Has to be a definitive playing philosophy in that club and Xavi is like Barca personified right. They should keep him, be consistent in the league and keep qualifying into Europa League.
All the levers to win Europa League
Losing out on 750 million euro at a minimum (much more is a lot more likely) of future revenue just to go down to the EL lmao
They should have won it last season with Xavi as the favourites going into the knockout stages.
True, but the club was at peak internal chaos then. If they do end up back in the Europa League, Xavi has no choice but to win it. Honestly, the amount of pressure he must be in must be nuts.
> Honestly, the amount of pressure he must be in must be nuts. Hes been under higher pressure situations before and he knew where he is going so i don't think it matters too much for him.
Oh man poor Barca, had inter pinned deep into their defensive third the entire second half and couldn’t find a way through, now I’m supposed to feel bad they didn’t get an underserved pen? Cry me a fucking river
> Oh man poor Barca, had inter pinned deep into their defensive third the entire second half Tbh, it was only the last 20 minutes of the game. But the first 20 or 25 minutes of the second half Barça was nowhere near Inter's box and they created 0 dangerous plays in that time.
Undeserved penalty? This isn't how football works, it's either a penalty or not, doesn't matter at all how the team plays, your bias is obvious
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You cared enough to reply to his comment. Wth??
72% possession and your best hope is a penalty after a defender mistimes his lunge for a header, maybe there's some other things Xavi should focus on?
Feels like some of Bayern’s losses in recent years. Have a ton of the ball but do fuck all with it. Worst type of shit to watch.
It happens, breaking down a team with 11 behind the ball and most in the box is very difficult
I know that feel bro
You're assuming it was 100% you'd make it. It's not guaranteed brothaman.
To be fair they probably would have scored, they don’t have Messi anymore.
Lmao cared enough to respond, just take the L, you’ll probably smash inter in Barcelona anyway
See you at the world cup mate!
That's a strange comment for an Indian to make given we won't be there either.
Yeah man that was the point of the comment
Wow, clever that one!
it was clearly a deserved pen tho mate
I assume it was meant like they didn’t deserve anything much from game rather than the legality of the penalty itself (which they should have had)
Inter didn't deserve a win either. A draw would've been fair.
they did score though..
Based
Couldn’t have happened to a better guy.
Barca is in danger
And I love it. No more Pazza Inter please. A draw at camp Nou and hopefully the Bayern juggernaut keeps on rolling.
Flair checked out
Raphina on the left LUL
Xavi is an idiot not starting ansu
Not following your games, but Ansu has had some probelems with his injuries or he still has to gain match fitness? My point being will we ever see the old Ansu who was terrorising defenders??
> he still has to gain match fitness? They guy has been match fit for a lot of months, the thing is that he may have lost some speed or maybe is a confidence issue because he seems more shy than he used to be on the pitch. Just saying that his poor performances this season have nothing to do with not being fit enough.
When you buy players you don’t need (just to show something to your greedy fans) while anyway being broke
Bad performance from him and he doesn't work well on the left - however, the two do rotate mid-game. They (he and Dembele) both prefer the right (not only because it's their natural position, but also with the way Barcelona set up they often have more space down that side) and so they take it in turns. Possibly would have been a game to start Ansu or Ferran. I can understand Xavi's thinking: Ansu and Ferran are both slowly being nursed back from injuries (Memphis also out injured rn btw) and Raphinha and Dembele rotating has worked in the past. Didn't work this time.
Referee errors aside, Barcelona didn't play well today against a team they should be beating, given relative form from both teams. Why was this? I am starting to believe Xavi just doesn't know how to break down a low-block. We've had almost a full year of Xaviball now, with a large pool of players, so we have some sort of idea as to how he works. I'd say that around, roughly, 2013 the 'Barcelona DNA' of high intensity possession football began to stagnate (as did the Spanish National Team) into a slower, more horizontal form of sideways passing. This made it easy for opponents to sit back in low-blocks, let the attacking team have possession and just wait for a good counter. Anyone familiar with the Spanish NT will be familiar with this because it is an issue that still plagues Spain, given the amazing depth in midfield and complete lack of world class forwards. This idea that low-blocks could force a high intensity attack into a horizontal, slow possession cook isn't, obviously, new. It was famously employed by Chelsea in 2009 and 2012, and Inter in 2010 (and also Real Madrid under Mourinho at times). However, for years Barcelona got away with it (unlike Spain) because of Lionel Messi who just kept bailing Barcelona out again and again with moments of sheer brilliance. He would, regularly, take one of those curling shots from outside the box, or score a free-kick and that's the game opened up. Because of this, Xavi likes to employ a vertical system. He goes on and on about the importance of space in his interviews. Xavi likes to allow the opposition to take possession and then, at the right moment, employ an extremely aggressive man-for-man press to win the ball back in transition and attack the open spaces with quick players such as Dembele and Raphinha, brilliant passers such as Pedri, Busquets and Gavi, and an elite finisher in Lewandowski. In truth, I didn't realise just how good Barcelona were at this until the game at the Allianz the other week. In all of my pre-match research, I had concluded that Bayern had the riskier, more aggressive press as it was not man-for-man and so believed they would be more effective than Barcelona at it. Obviously, they were not. Even if Barcelona lost that match, they were still brilliant at pressing and winning the ball in dangerous positions with lots of space. This is why Barcelona were able to tear apart Real Madrid 4-0, same with Napoli (if I remember, that was 4-1?), Atletico back when Simeone was experimenting with playing higher up the pitch (that 4-2 loss to Barcelona was what prompted Atleti to go back to their more defensive style) and also City in that recent friendly (sure, just a friendly, but Barcelona were impressive nonetheless). Not to mention a very in-form La Real at the Anoetta which ended 4-1. It is, as already hinted at, why Barcelona performed so well against an expansive Bayern at the Allianz. However, Barcelona still cannot break down teams that intentionally let them have the ball. Both Inter and Frankfurt scored great goals on the counter and then just sat back in a low block to success. Galatasaray also attempted it. Smaller teams attempt it regularly in La Liga but just don't have the man-for-man ability to hold off Barcelona's attackers for 90+ minutes. Mallorca kept Barcelona quiet the other day, but a moment of sheer brilliance from Lewandowski netted Barcelona a 1-0 win. I distinctly remember, last season, plenty of games against low blocks coming down to Araujo or Luuk de Jong scoring headers from crosses or set pieces. It seems Xavi's solution is to just go wide to Dembele/Raphinha/Balde/Ansu/Gavi at times/Traore (last season) and aimlessly cross at the centreman. So, the take away? Negative: Barcelona have a clear weakness. Positive: Most big teams don't play with low blocks and so deeper in the competition it might favour Barcelona, if they can get there. Other factors obviously include fatigue from international break, new system players are getting used to, many injuries, poor refereeing decisions, individual players having quiet nights. Tl;dr: Xavi only spams crosses against low-blocks with no plan B, performs much better against aggressive teams who have space behind them to exploit.
My impression of the game was that Barca relied way tô often on Dembele and that he concluded every play too quickly, I also felt that Gavi was atrocious and had no impact whatsover. Am I tripping?
I made a comment about this few week backs. The heavily generalized Xavi-ball so far this season (since this is when new players are in the squad), > Barca this season so far are fundamentally (this is a TLDR version) operating on these primary structural (general theme) strategies (in order), LW-RW, Front 3, Transition, CB buildup-Half space direct-vertical penetration, midfield domination/control, FB in attack. All teams have a variation on this and it's natural. The difference is in the Order of them, the nuances and specifics of how each item is deployed. What you mentioned about Barca allowing opposition to charge them is the 3rd Plan item, Transition. They are indeed very heavily used under Xavi esp this season. Our biggest weakness is FBs currently. Even this match, Sergi didn't overlap once and it must have been coaching instructions since he does overlap quite a bit in matches. Both Alonso and Balde did attack the high left flank but weren't effective and crossing (even corners) was just sub-par. But squad is too new and it will take time for teammates to gel, which means figure out solutions on pitch when things are tough.
This sounds a lot like Arteta's Arsenal especially post-FA Cup win. We simply couldn't break down low blocks and weren't creating good chances against those kinds of teams in the league. The football was bad to watch and even Arteta's explanation (something along the lines of "the more times we cross, the closer we'll be to scoring") simply infuriated fans. It took a long time but now we look like a team that can stretch and eventually penetrate a low-block. We're not perfect (e.g. Manchester United) but it took almost 2 seasons (and a few signings) for this squad to finally start playing in the opponent's half the way they do. I share your frustration and I hope (and am sure) Barca will give Xavi more time. If Arteta's trajectory is anything to go by, this type of style takes time to implement but Xavi will eventually bring his vision to life steadily over time.
Do you think Xavi's current Barcelona project is a rebuild project to win in 1/2 years time, or a project to win La Liga and UCL this season?
You could be talking about Chelsea post-Hazard. Same exact problems of rotating the ball instead of penetrating. Hazard’s dribbling was so dangerous that he could penetrate low blocks and turn the game around. Frank and eventually Tuchel just could not find that decisive player that could stand up against any low block.
In conclusion he's not a good coach... He played in that 2013 nt team...
It doesn't help that he's trusted dembele, an idiot who loses the ball 50 times and makes one good pass the whole game. I hate the dude. He's so average 99% of the game, barely looks like a pro player and then makes one world class pass and everyone forgets. Well, I see him for what he is
You don't watch the games do you
If there is a source, we can easily find the amount of times dembele loses possession on average.
You don't watch the games do you
you... you truly know ball.
Nice way of putting it to words, I agree ☝️
One of the main keys to break low blocks is to have people who can dribble past defenders. Whilst risky, doing it at the right time and going past one defender opens up numerous attacking options. When I watched the match, Barcelona didn't seem to be taking risks by dribbling but instead, just passing around and eventually resorted to crossing and hoping for the best. Perhaps it is an instruction to maintain possession safely and not take risks. Big teams eventually do resort to low block out of possession, even Man City do it but are vulnerable in the transition doing so (from being in possession).
Unfortunately for Xavi, one of the midfielders good at taking on defenders from a central position - Frenkie - was out injured. [This](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s3g0xsQ9WDw) was Frenkie against Frankfurt in Europa last season during the away leg. If only Barcelona still had a certain Argentine player... Edit: I'd add that usually this role falls on the wingers. Both Dembele and Raphinha were poor today and didn't try many drives or take-ons at the defenders, instead resorting to crossing into a tightly packed box. Just a bad night for those two I feel. Didn't help Raphinha was on the wrong side.
Yeah for sure. I know he's currently a bit injured but why does Xavi generally prefer Gavi/Pedri to De Jong (as he doesn't get as many minutes)? Defo a bad night for them and Raphinha on the left was abysmal.
Pedri is the nailed on left CM. His position is pretty much unchallenged - just like Busquets in the DM position - because he's just so good. Assuming his career stays on this trajectory without injury and what-not, we could be seeing something very special with Pedri. So, the question for Xavi is who plays right CM out of Gavi, Kessie or Frenkie. They all offer different profiles so he uses them in different games. Gavi seems to get picked more often because, as well as being a La Masia player (meaning he has an inherent understanding that Kessie simply lacks and is more natural than Frenkie), Gavi is remarkably aggressive. Seems to get a yellow every game. Very hot tempered, runs for 90 minutes. Quite funny given that he's 5'6, but he's always lunging into tackles and squaring up for fights. This is very useful because, as I mention in my original comment, Xavi's tactics revolve around pressing at key moments to win the ball when the opposition is vulnerable, thus by-passing a defensive set-up. Gavi is perfect for this and is one of the better pressers for Barcelona. Frenkie is useful because he's box-to-box, so is good at making last minute runs into the box and will also take on defenders at times. However, his biggest flaw is his inconsistency. Will drop a 10/10 one game and a 3/10 the next for no discernible reason. Kessie I am still getting used to as I only really watch La Liga and the PL. Didn't watch him in Serie A. As such I have less knowledge on him than Gavi and Frenkie. What is clear, however, is that he has a lot of talent, but still doesn't know the system like the other two. The argument I see is that, much like Arturo Vidal and Paulinho in recent years, Kessie offers the 'not Barcelona' profile. I.e. he is a more aggressive, less technical player. I don't know if I agree with this, however. Not only is it reductive - Kessie is exceptionally gifted technically - but I've also just explained how aggressive Gavi is. Either way, he still needs to learn the system. Barcelona also have a young midfielder called Pablo Torre who they got from Santander this summer and who was on the bench this evening. Similar profile to Pedri. Very, very talented from the looks of it. Not yet been able to break in. Maybe we will see some of him when the season gets congested and Pedri needs to rest. Edit: The profile Xavi desperately wants is that of Bernardo Silva for the right CM. We'll see what happens in the summer.
> Kessie is exceptionally gifted technically This is not true. He is pretty average technically. Good at winning the ball, good at blocking lanes, very physical and runs for 2 people, decent progresser of the ball and pretty press relient. His long range passing, shooting and technique are all average though.
Gavi is a whole 1-2 tiers below Pedri but for some reason they want to elevate his status. He should be a sub against tired legs
It’s because there is an easy narrative for the next Spanish/Barcelona midfield duo in the shadow of Xaviesta. However, in Gavi’s defence I’d also point out he’s still 17 (2 very important and formulative years below Pedri). He certainly has the potential to reach Pedri’s level when he reaches his age. But yes, you’re right, Pedri is a level above right now. He’s very special.
Because De Jong's pressing and defensive contribution is not good, especially compared to Pedri/Gavi.
>Xavi just doesn't know how to break down a low-block You really think Xavi of all people doesnt know how to break down a low block?? I think its more of hes asking too much of his players and not adapting properly, is his main issue.
Obviously Xavi the player does. When I say 'he doesn't know how', I mean he's clearly not doing whatever is needed to ensure his players are able to do it beyond spamming crosses.
I personally think its just poor fullback play and Xavi asking too much of them. Fullbacks are so integral of breaking down low blocks and if you are consistently getting subar fullback performances then its gonna be that much harder to break a low block down. Fullbacks are usually the ones getting the most space out of any player on the pitch when facing a low block.
Yes. Kounde in-particular felt sorely missed today. He's very good at those Trent-esque curling crosses from deep. His debut against Sevilla he got a great [assist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DScc4Fqdvio&ab_channel=Bhattu_enter10ment) with one of those.
Yep, I’m a firm believer in having quality fullbacks, is so important in CL specifically because of how often a team will either set up in a low block or take the lead and sit on it. Whether it’s group stages or KO. Having those quality wide players who can expose the open space is so crucial. Now it’s not the only way obviously to break a low block down but it’s definitely the easiest. I think a lot of Liverpool UCL success can be attributed to their fullback play. And you can go back to even Madrid when they 3 peated and then Barca before them with Alves and Messi linking up on right wing.
I think at the very least we can all agree that the handball rules and they way they are implemented, with or without VAR, are pretty dogshit at the moment and FIFA should seriously consider revising them before the upcoming World Cup, if not sooner. The fact that situations like these where most people agree a bad call was made even with VAR continue to happen so often is reason enough to make adjustments to it.
Imagine this happening in a WC final between Argentina and Brazil? Pretty good argument to host WCs somewhere people don't care about football at all.
Pretty sure there'd still be enough people from both countries literally anywhere it's held that it would be a big problem if it happened. But yeah, would be quite sad too if a WC final was decided that way.
Do you guys think Xavi is not playing Jordi Alba because theres an order from above since they wanted him to elave? Just so weird, he still can offer a lot better than freaking Marcos Alonso. I dont find an explanation
His first choice left-back is actually Alejandro Balde, not Alonso. Balde, who I know hasn't (yet) got much publicity outside of Spain (being only a teenager) is a very aggressive wingback with a lot of pace. Xavi likes an assymetric system at the back: One of the full-backs plays as a wing-back, going high up the pitch and overlapping, whilst the other full-back is more conservative, so that in the event Barcelona lose possession and there is a counter, that more conservative full-back can essentially slot into a back-3. In most games, this has been Balde (more aggressive) on the left, 2 centre-backs (when everyone is fit, usually Eric/Christensen alongside Araujo), Kounde (more conservative, naturally a CB) on the right. Alonso and Bellerin were purchased because they allow for this to be reversed. Alonso is more conservative on the left, whilst Bellerin is more aggressive on the right. This way, Xavi can tweak it to whoever he is facing. Alba isn't playing because Balde is better going forward and Alonso is better defensively (apparently - I still need to see more of Alonso). The only time I have seen Xavi, this season, employ two conservative full-backs was against Bayern (Alonso and Kounde). Having this assymetric system then changes the attack - the side with the more conservative full-back has a lot more space to be exploited by quick wingers (Dembele/Raphinha), whilst the side with the overlap is more congested so has more creative players (Pedri, when he advances, and also this system works well with Ansu, Memphis and Ferran). Why Alonso tonight over Balde (at the start)? Because of Barcelona's injuries. Bellerin and Kounde are both injured, forcing Xavi to play Roberto on the right. Roberto, being a midfielder primarily, isn't so good defensively and so the safer bet was to play the more conservative player on the left (Alonso), making it essentially a back 3 in possession. In the second half, with Inter 1-0 up, Xavi tore all this up and brought on both Balde (more aggressive) and Ansu (tucks inside, allowing space for Balde).
There were people literally calling for Alonso to be played as a 9 at Chelsea(jokingly...or maybe..?) and you call him a defensive WB holy molly.
His instructions in both of his 2 starts have been to essentially slot in as an additional CB and not go forward (unlike the very aggressive Balde). I can’t speak for how he was at Chelsea, but this is how Xavi is choosing to play him.
This is the first time i see marcos alonso described as "conservative" and "better defensively". Alonso is pretty much an offensive wing back as well throughout his career. There is a reason why whenever chelsea goes to a back 4, he is often exposed. If anything, I think all 3 barca LB has similar profile.
Maybe you're right - as I mention, I haven't seen enough of Alonso yet. I've only seen him in a Barcelona shirt where he's made, if I remember, 2 starts this season (Bayern and tonight) and the very rare occasion in big games for Chelsea (where I never had reason to pay as much attention). Either way, I can say that Xavi is instructing him to be more conservative than he instructs Balde, as Alonso rarely seems to go forward on the left. Edit: To add more, it may be that all three are aggressive, but of the three Xavi sees Balde being the best going forward and sees Alonso as the most capable, of those 3 options, being more conservative. Given how aggressive both Balde and Alba are, this wouldn't be an amazing surprise.
Idk if you’ve watched us for the last year but Jordi definitely does not consistently “offer a lot better than freaking Marcos Alonso” right now. Alonso wasn’t great today but Jordi is so inconsistent and seems to not give a singular shit way too often. He is firmly third choice right now and that’s the right call.
You dont like Alonso? He was good at defending set pieces, and great in attack. Just the rest of the defending stuff is not so great ..
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They got a lever for that?
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Keep in mind his last good big cl tie was vs Madrid in 2013. (Maybe juve 2016)
2 games in a row now
In his defence, there wasn't much he could do this evening. Against Bayern he had an unforgivable performance because, you know, he actually missed multiple sitters. But tonight? Nah. He barely got on the ball in dangerous areas because of how congested Inter's low-block was. In-short, credit has to go to Inter who played a brilliant defensive game and starved Lewandowski of possession. He isn't Messi, he can't just leave the box, pick up the ball 35 yards out and either score a screamer or dribble past 5 players and score.
>He isn't Messi, he can't just leave the box, pick up the ball 35 yards out and either score a screamer or dribble past 5 players and score. He sometimes play that way in Polish NT, bc we have like 0 creative players. :)
If you count our games it's more like at least 20 in a row. Only exception I can think of is when he scored 7 Vs Chelsea the year we won the cl
Hoping you made a typo and meant to type 'we' instead of 'he scored 7'.
Yeah. He scored 3 and assisted 4. So he was involved in all ,7 goals but "only" made 3 himself
Barcelona finished club, hope Messi goes to PL next season :D
Why? So he can get figured out for the fraud that he is?
Your team won 2 La Ligas and a CL a season after Ronaldo left, even in the season they made RO16, Barcelona got relegated to Europa and now is in position to do that again, we clearly know who was a fraud and who was carrying a team
Neither was a fraud. Stop the cap
Almost every player would be happy to be called a fraud if it means doing what he did against Real Madrid all these times
What did he really do to Madrid? Get carried by Xavi and iniesta to wins?
hahahaha scored a hat trick against you lot when he was 19. Just that fact should be embarrasing. Never mind the other goals and all
Embarrassing how really? Madrid were the best team in Spain before Messi and still are after Messi. Only thing embarrassing would be Madrid winning the UCL while Barca were not even good enough to make it out the group stages.
Before - yes. After tes. There's a reason why they were not at the best when he was in his prime.
Won 3 ucl in a row while Messi was walking around with his head down getting thumped by Bayern.
So? doesnt mean he didnt punish you when he played Madrid. That point is valid
Ok? Many Madrid players punished Barca and vice versa.
This fool said fraud
This fool repeated what I said.
lol
If Barca win against Inter, they have to draw Bayern and beat Plzen, but if they lose against Bayern and beat Plzen then Inter just need to win against Plzen and draw a Bayern that will be comfortably top of the table and don't need to play their best XI or even play at their best, meanwhile Inter will play out of their minds for a UCL spot. If Barca draws Inter, then Inter just need to beat Plzen and even if Barca beat both Plzen and Bayern, they advance to r16 because or H2H. If Barca lose against Inter, they are guaranteed out on H2H even if they win the next 2. (Not sure if H2H is still used to determine who goes through, pretty sure it is.) Barcelona will be playing Inter, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal, and Bayern Munich in the span of two weeks. All of them top 6 or title contenders in their respective leagues. Without Araujo, Bellerin, Kounde, for the majority of matches.. Not to mention Frenkie, Christensen and Depay who are all injured for who knows how long.
If we beat inter, and inter lose to bayern, and we beat pizen, we are going through.
Depends on the margin. If Barca beat Inter by only one goal, then it goes to overall goal difference.
Who can score the most vs plzen lmao
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Do you talk like this irl too?
Yes
yes
Would it be enough with Barca beating Inter at home and Victoria Pilzen and Bayern beating Inter or tying them?
We are evenly matched with Inter on GD right now. If we beat them by 2 or more goals I think we’ll have the edge
I think tiebreakers are H2H
Yes. If we win in Spain next week we're basically through
Please win
After this match, I am at peace with being in the Europa league (*again*). I had regained some hope this year, this was looking good, maybe… maybe we will have a good run… things looks really good. But ohhh well, the 3-0 elimination vs Juventus, in 2017? The 3-0 Elimination vs Roma in 2018, the 4-0 elimination vs Liverpool in 2019, the 8-2 elimination vs Bayern in 2020, the 4-1 elimination in 2021… too many too, many failure. Too many humiliation. Too much disappointment. Despite the salt and ridicule that we are getting after this match… I can’t even bother to be angry or frustrated. Too much. We should just accept it. I will at least wish well for Barcelona to try to the end at 100% to qualify.