After completing the record in the Copa del Rey, Barça faces another key match. And the sporting situation that the Barça team is going through means that the visit to one of the most complicated fiefdoms in the championship (the Benito Villlamarín) is once again a meeting that can calm the atmosphere a little or agitate the situation even more. Here are my 5 tactical keys:
The first point is what decisions Xavi will apply in the eleven. Because it is as true that Barça has casualties that limit the coach’s scope of action as it is that the Super Cup final and the first half in Salamanca have to provoke measures. And this gives options for Lamine Yamal, Oriol Romeu or even Fermín to appear in the starting team. At the same time, another issue is whether Xavi will decide to continue with the usual game system and mechanisms or will apply any changes. In terms of football, it is an option that could help the team be better and more solid.
Due to Betis’ disposition (a marked 4-2-3-1) and the already recurring absence of Guido Rodríguez, Pellegrini’s men leave a lot of margin in specific areas of the field: those that go from the midfielder (Isco) to double pivot (Marc Roca and Altimira). The midfielder finds it difficult to retreat and the double pivot finds it difficult to jump under high pressure. So there Barça can take advantage so that De Jong, Gündogan or even Joao Félix can pick up and start the attacks. It will be essential for the Barça team to take advantage of the fact that they will have more space and time to start building the game.
There are two ideal offensive movements to do damage in a 4-2-3-1. The first is that the interiors or half points are lateralized. That is, they should open their positioning slightly to go look for the ball in areas closer to the wing than to the center. And the rival pivots will never leave their zone to jump at them in positional defense. For the same reason, the opposing double pivot will not go very far to offer help. To which we must add that the wing midfielders are footballers with offensive sensitivity and it is very difficult for them to go down to defend. So Barça has to exploit the 2v1 from the outside. Either in the extreme-lateral format or in the lateral-interior format.
Both due to the game scheme and the characteristics of the players who defend the axis, Betis does a lot of damage by combining inside. It is one of the teams against which it is “easier” to find interior passes and for the chemistry between the attacking players to appear. And this is a factor that Barça has to take advantage of by entering and being vertical there. They already did it in the first leg in Montjuic, where Barça played one of the few complete matches of this season.
Betis has several high-level dangers and names but also caliber losses. The first of all is Isco. A player who has returned this year to being Isco in his best version. He has the total freedom that Pellegrini gives him and that is a great threat to all rivals. Because combining talent, freedom and trust usually gives results. In addition, the losses of creative players that Betis will have (Abde, Ayoze…) give them even greater rank. He has three goals and three assists so far this season and averages 2.3 direct chance-generating passes per game. Barça will have to be very attentive to him. As well as Nabil Fekir. The Frenchman has put his injury behind him and already participated against Granada. He will surely not be a starter but he will surely appear during the match. And this is synonymous with danger because he has a privileged foot for long shots and for seeing passes that others do not detect. Against Barça he always puts in notable performances. On the other hand, highlight Sergi Altimira. The former Barça youth footballer is a very complete midfielder. He has the legs to reach or retreat depending on the case and has the touch to distribute the game. He already started in Montjuïc and the losses of Guardado and Guido Rodríguez ensure him a place in the eleven.
