The Three Kings weekend brings us a big match: the one that will be played tonight (9:00 p.m.) Atlético de Madrid and F.C. Barcelona. One of the highest-level matches in the League and one of the most complicated trips in the championship for the blaugranas. In addition, and for different reasons, both teams arrive with the need to offer a good game and get the points so that the show is guaranteed. Here my 5 tactical keys for this great game:
The first important point tonight will go through the choice of Xavi’s tactical drawing. The fact that Atlético plays in 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 may make the Barca coach consider changing to 3-4-3 in a square to seek the superiority of a player in the first two lines and to be able to overcome the moments of pressure of those of Simeone. In addition, there are two factors that give even more strength to this system change. On the one hand, the last precedent with a good Barca result (a 4-2 victory) and, on the other, the great moment in form of Frenkie De Jong. Xavi could choose to join four midfielders directly inside, or to deploy Alejandro Balde in attack to do double duty and have Ansu Fati or Ferran Torres play the left corner. We’ll see what Xavi’s tactical decision is. Be that as it may, and with the suspension of Jordi Alba, Alejandro Balde will surely start.
The colchoneros are a typically solid and practical team at the back. Even so, in the last two seasons his defensive numbers are not as good as in the first years that Simeone arrived at the club. This course, 14 goals conceded in 15 games (almost one per game). This is due, in large part, to the fact that the central axis is out of square and does not keep their distance when they are moved and demanded from the defensive tilts. And that is what Barça has to detect tonight from having good possessions in the rival field. Something that all the Barça attackers will have to do but that two proper names are especially good at: Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati.
One of the things that do the most damage to Atlético are the penetrations by the band that end in the horizontal center or backwards. When that happens, the center-backs and midfielders find it difficult to go back while maintaining heights and very clear finishing areas appear. It should also be added that most mattress defenders are not agile when responding to “unpredictable” balls. It is no coincidence that a large part of the goals that Atlético de Madrid have conceded have come precisely in this way.
After the World Cup, Simeone has changed the way he distributes his players on the field. He continues to play with a line of three central defenders plus two lanes (Llorente or Nahuel and Carrasco, Reguilón or Saül) but has gone from playing with two marked forwards to doing so with a striker and two midfielders behind (Griezmann and Joao Félix). And it’s working very well for him, because it’s very difficult to prevent one of these two players from receiving the ball when they have the ball. An area that Barça will have to control very well. We will see if with a single pivot (4-3-3) or with two (3-4-3).
The Portuguese is in a great moment of form. His World Cup was already very good and his match against Elche, with a goal included, was magnificent. He is clearly the highest quality player in the mattress box. Also highlight the emergence of Pablo Barrios, a young midfielder more creative than the rest of the profiles and who, finally, seems to have the definitive alternative to Cholo Simeone. Against Elche he was at a great height and, in the Cup match against Oviedo, he saw the goal. A footballer with an excellent future.
