Barça wants to continue with the lead by beating a Mallorca full of doubts after conceding a rout in Girona. A match that has to serve to reinforce the first position and to improve some things. Here are my 5 tactical keys for this match:
After against Celta the team had many problems creating danger for a defense of five, Barça will once again face an opponent that is structured exactly the same. It will be important for Xavi’s team to improve a lot in the circulation of the ball, to have more frequent attacks from behind or to focus much more on outside shooting as a threat. It will also be relevant for the coach to initially choose the profiles of the footballers who can generate the most danger in such a context. Against Celta it was seen that, due to the type of game, the option of Marcos Alonso as a depth element on the left or that of Ferran Torres open on the right to face did not work. Both have qualities but no individual overflow from dribbling.
Aguirre’s Mallorca will play with a line of five and without jumping under pressure. His height will not be excessively low, but his willingness to give up the initiative and wait for Barça concessions to take advantage of them will be evident. In fact, with only a 37.9% average ball possession, they are the penultimate team in ball possession in the entire League. Therefore, the context that Barça will find will be very similar to the Celta match. And in this type of scenario there are two fundamental aspects: the speed of the ball and that the Barça attacks in the rival field go from side to side. It is almost impossible to penetrate these defenses if you do not first move them with two or three ball tilts. And it is not the same as these circulations staying in intermediate areas or going to the lime line and then returning. The first are harmless, the second are the ones that create space to attack.
Continuing with the argument of the defensive order that tonight’s rival will present, another important aspect will be the tempo of unchecking. And Mallorca is the team that causes the most offsides in the entire championship. With an average of 3.9 per game, he uses block starts and line coordination to disrupt opponents’ offensive actions. So the unmarking in space (the one granted by Mallorca) will be transcendental but it will also be important to do it at the right time. A good maneuver will be to observe the surroundings before starting and not do the opposite.
In the defensive phase, Barça will have to know how to deal with direct play. And Mallorca ends a good part of its offensive developments by looking for a long pass towards Muriqui. In fact, 28% of his passes are long. Furthermore, with 54% of duels from above won, the Balearic team is the fifth best team in the aerial game. Therefore, it will be vital that centre-backs, full-backs and pivots are well positioned and very active for the second plays. Something that gives many options for Íñigo Martínez to start.
Verat Muriqui is the most dangerous footballer. Because he is the player with the most goals on the team (15 goals last season and 2 goals already in this League) and, because of the Balearic team’s way of playing, he is the one who finishes the most plays. In the middle of the field, we must talk about Sergi Darder. The former Espanyol player is the most talented midfielder and to whom the Barça media will have to pay the most attention. He has great driving ability to get out of complicated situations, a good touch for passing and an excellent shot. He averages 1.7 key passes per game. Finally, mention Pablo Maffeo. A fast side with a lot of offensive projection. He is highly irregular but, when he is good, he is very difficult to downplay.
