After the hard-fought victory against Porto in the Champions League, Barça resumes the League with the intention of adding another three points just before a new national team break. Opposite, a rival from the bottom of the table, Granada, who given the need, will surely present difficulties. Here are my 5 tactical keys for this match:
It is a perfect match for the young youth squad to start and make his debut in a starting eleven in official competition. The casualties accumulate after the Champions League match and his latest performances make that scenario very possible. Furthermore, the youth player can enter the middle to replace one of the regulars (Gündogan or Gavi) or also up top, acting as a false winger on either side. At the point of attack, Ferran Torres will be Lewandowski’s replacement. This will make the position less fixated on the rival centre-backs but will have more dynamism. At the back there will surely be some rotation, like, probably, the entry of Christensen.
Paco López’s Granada is a pleasant team to play for teams that associate well with the ball. His proposal is daring and self-conscious. A factor that opens spaces and facilitates offensive play. So much so that internal associations are as viable as external ones. Something that Barça does not usually find and that, therefore, will have to exploit. Combinations inside, triangulations in three quarters and exits in transition after recovery have to constantly appear in the Barça game in Los Cármenes.
Granada is a team that plays open and quite disorganized. Their data at the beginning of the season confirm this aspect: 18 goals conceded in just eight games. Furthermore, in all of their matches the opponent has scored and, in six of the eight matches, they have ended with two or more goals. An area in which they can be very dangerous because they leave a lot of room for action is in the front of the area and its surroundings. Girona scored two goals from outside the area, Real Sociedad two more and Las Palmas also scored like this. Barça will do well to take advantage and shoot from mid-range every time they have the chance. That’s where the goal or goals can come from.
Continuing with the previous point, it is an ideal day for forwards. Because facing such an open team that facilitates combinative play so much makes reaching the central space of the area very probable. It is no coincidence that Granada is the team in the League with the highest percentage of rival shots inside the area (11%). Clear opportunity for all Barça attackers.
It is not a surprise, because he already shone last season in the SmartBank League, but Bryan Zaragoza is leaving many people impressed at the beginning of the season. And he is one of those footballers who brighten the football eye. He is a fast, skilled and, above all, ultra-unbalanced player. He plays mostly on the right but we have also seen him on the left. A pure, adaptable winger and one of those who are becoming less and less in this sport. With 3.3 dribbles passed on average per game, he is the player who is dribbling the most and best in this first part of the championship. It is no surprise that the big teams have noticed him. Mention also to the always dangerous Lucas Boyé. A complete forward with a very good finish. Three goals and an assist support him offensively.
