Sports journalist, tactical analyst, scout, author of Anatomy of a Genius: Leo Messi's tactical evolution at FC Barcelona. A Barcelona fan for more than 20 years.
Tactics
Both teams have a penetrative left-back option that overlaps the inverted left-winger, a 1v1 specialist on the right with a right-back who cuts in to become a false pivot or interior.
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Replacing Busquets like-for-like will be an almost impossible job. Adjusting his role would probably be the way forward
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Ferran excels in finding space. But would that be enough for him to cement a starting spot for Barca?
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Eric is very much a player who snuffs out attacks by reading the game well and staying a step ahead of his opposition.
Tactics
Life after Busquets will be hard and the Catalans haven't found a way around it yet.
Review
Fortunately, just as Johan Cruyff did more than 30 years ago, Xavi starts off his coaching journey at the Camp Nou with a victory over their bitter city rivals.
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Pedri is the more advanced and offensive while Gavi is the ball retainer and progressor
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A Barca interior needs great spatial awareness to find pockets of space and link defence with attack.
Review
Barcelona lack difference-makers. Vinícius on his own made more dribbles than all of the Catalans’ forwards combined.
Review
Perhaps it was poetic justice or just a part of a very carefully written script but the clash between Barcelona and Valencia at the Camp Nou was more than just a fixture to decide who gets the three points