Barcelona pulled apart ten man Valencia to win 4-2, but it should have been a much bigger scoreline.
Luis Suárez
The Uruguayan had an excellent performance for Barcelona, and looked like he was back to his best. It wasn’t just his excellent equalizer which indicated this, although it was a nice curled finish into the corner after some quick thinking from Neymar with the throw-in.
He was a constant source of energy through the match, which the Valencia defence struggled to live with. Throughout the game, he was harassing the opposition and just being a general nuisance. This helped the team significantly because he was able to score and win a penalty due to Eliaquim Mangala pulling him down which got the defender sent off.
It’s great to see Suárez back to his best at such a key part of the season because Barcelona will need his goals and smart movement in the upcoming big games. The success of the new formation is based on the high energy pressing of the opposition in their final third when out of possession. It is also based on the fluid interchange of movement and quick passing to pick apart the opposition defence when in possession of the ball. El Pistolero is a key cog in how this system works in both areas, so his form is vital to their success.
Chances Created
One of the key themes that anybody watching the match will have noticed is the sheer amount of chances created. Taken out of context, the scoreline is high, but it should have been much higher. Even before the sending off in the first half, Barça were cutting apart the opposition with ease. M-S-N and Andrés Iniesta were all playing exceptionally well.
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The high position up the pitch suits the creative players because of their proximity to the opposition goal. Lionel Messi and Neymar were dissecting the opposition with precise through balls and intricate passing around the opposition area. The Brazilian playmaker was wonderful throughout the match with the best example being the run to assist André Gomes’ goal at the end. He kept enticing the two opposition defenders to tackle until they took the bait and he breezed past them.
Iniesta deserves a mention because of his excellent performance. Him and Neymar were a dangerous combination with the opposition being unable to take the ball of either due to their slick link-up play. Similar to Suárez, this looked more like the Iniesta of old when he used to dominate matches with his creativity.
The only issue in this match was their lack of ability to finish the chances. Some of the players looked like they were unwilling to take responsibility. Prior to his goal, Gomes had a great chance after he was found in the box. However, he opted to pass back to Sergi Roberto rather than shooting.
Defensive Issues
They may have created plenty of opportunities, but they looked vulnerable whenever Los Che attacked. Naturally, the formation causes the team to play high up the pitch, which provides the opposition with areas to exploit. If Barcelona don’t press the player on the ball quick enough then they can easily hit balls over the top. They also need to improve at defending set-pieces, it was way too easy for Mangala to attack the ball.
The centre-backs have to be on top form and fully focused throughout matches. This suits Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti who seem to thrive in these high pressure situations. Javier Mascherano is a different proposition because he struggles with the defensive side of the game. He thrives with his excellent range of passing, which allows him to bisect the opposition lines. His comfort on the ball helps hide some of his defensive frailties. Nonetheless, he needs to make less unprovoked errors, which is partially down to his bad decision-making at times. Munir’s goal was a clear exploitation of this.
This formation gets the best out of the attack, so Luis Enrique should carry on playing this, but they need to reduce some of the defensive issues. A possible solution is replacing Rafinha with a better decision maker. Neymar keeps the opposition right-winger high up the pitch due to his sheer ability to take on players, which means he can’t be left in 1 v. 1 situations with the opposition right-back. Rafinha isn’t able to do this with the opposition left winger, and isn’t good enough defensively either.
Next: Barca 4-2 Valencia Player Ratings
A potential solution is Denis Suárez. He was poor against Deportivo, but he is an excellent winger/attacking midfielder hybrid. He is usually an effective decision-maker, smart when pressing off-the-ball, and understands his defensive responsibilities. The threat he possesses in the final third means that the opposition left-winger would have to track back, thereby limiting the danger of the counter-attack.