Review
Taming the Chaos: Making sense of Barcelona's madness against Real Sociedad
Xavi still needs time to finesse his style, but this was a good example of his adjusting tactically as the game grew
Tactics
Tactics
Xavi's wide conundrum & the Raphinha-Dembélé experiment
The Frenchman is far more effective on the right while Raphinha turns into a creator on the left, but maybe there is a case for him to be a more central player
Tactics
Verticality, intensity and defensive awareness are destroying Xavi's progress at Barcelona
Xavi's vertical approach sacrificed control and short-passing for quicker transitions. For a young team this led to rushed decisions, and disjointed buildup.
Tactics
Is Arteta's Arsenal blueprint the solution to Barcelona's midfield conundrum?
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.
Tactics
Life after Busquets: The future of Barcelona pivot role
Life after Busquets will be hard and the Catalans haven't found a way around it yet.