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Premier League Proves Barcelona’s Holiday Break Came at the Right Time

By Sean Whooley

July 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique speaks to bench players as they watch game action against Los Angeles Galaxy during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
July 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique speaks to bench players as they watch game action against Los Angeles Galaxy during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are very few parallels between the Premier League and La Liga. England’s top flight tends to play a more physical game at a faster pace, while Spain’s is centered on tactics, passing and possession. Regardless, football players everywhere expend themselves, and need breaks.

The Premier League doesn’t have many of those, but Spanish competitions do. Before their Copa Del Rey match with Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona last faced Hercules on Dec. 21. That gave them about 15 days of rest over the holiday period, and leaves them fresh for the second half of their campaign. That’s one which includes Champions League, Copa Del Rey and La Liga title challenges.

Unfortunately for the Blaugrana, their return from the lull resulted in a 2-1 loss at Bilbao on Thursday. This, the first leg of a Copa Del Rey cup tie, was not the result they needed. However, they still have the return leg and snatched an all-important away goal.

Perhaps it serves as a tune-up match, as Barcelona looked off the pace. They return to La Liga play on Sunday, where they should look much better, and that is because of the festive period’s rest.

While Lionel Messi and company were enjoying a couple of weeks off, as was most of Europe, the Premier League had its most congested fixture sequence of the season. From Boxing Day to New Year’s to Jan. 4, every team played three games.

Playing at that intensity three times in the span of nine days (or for some teams, less) can not only hurt a team in that moment, but in the long run. Dropped points, injuries and more have adverse effects on clubs and their positions moving forward. That was on display in England over the holidays.

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The two top teams in the Premier League are Chelsea and Liverpool. The Blues sit at the top now by five points, but led by six heading into the festive fixtures. Liverpool, trying to gain ground, beat Stoke City and Manchester City before a disappointing 2-2 draw at Sunderland, in which they relinquished the lead twice.

Chelsea, on the other hand, won their 12th and 13th straight Premier League games. However, they ran into a buzzsaw at White Hart Lane Wednesday, losing 2-0 to Tottenham. Chelsea played three games in nine days, while Liverpool did so in six. Both teams suffered from fatigue, and both failed to make legitimate headway in the title race because of it.

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Now, Barcelona still sit three points back of Real Madrid, and Los Blancos have a game-in-hand. Much like the Premier League race, there could be a six-point cushion for the leaders. It’s one that fixture congestion could have seriously shifted. Given Madrid’s great form since Zinedine Zidane took over as manager last season, and Barcelona’s poor form when forced to rotate their squad this season, avoiding too many fixtures is a great thing. The holiday break is something that has gone on for a long time, and should continue to. Barcelona are back ready, refreshed, and set to snatch the title from Real Madrid.