3 Things We Learned: CD Leganés vs FC Barcelona
Barcelona pulled apart the La Liga newcomers in an efficient performance.
New Look Formation
Luis Enrique opted for a 3-4-3 formation in the match which is something we haven’t seen so far this season. This formation was flexible because it turned into a 4-3-3 when defending with Mascherano being the surprising Right Back. It was a smart change because it accounted for the lack of Busquets in midfield, and avoided playing the risky Aleix Vidal. At the same time, it allowed Enrique to do some squad rotation after the midweek Champions League fixture. The formation allowed Andrés Iniesta and Ivan Rakitić to control the match in the centre, as well as giving Jordi Alba and Rafinha the freedom to make runs forward down the wing past the M-S-N trio upfront. Therefore it helped to hide Barça’s frailties as well as emphasising their strengths.
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High Pressing Problems
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High pressing seems to have become the popular tactic for any team facing Barcelona, and Leganés continued this trend. Playing on the counter-attack is unpopular due to the defensive discipline it requires, although Alavés proved it can be successful. Nevertheless, the high pressing was relatively unsuccessful until the last ten minutes when Barcelona were already 5-0 up. Leganés’ goal came up from a free-kick rather than the pressing, but it did cause chaos in Barcelona’s defence. Multiple times Leganés regained possession in dangerous areas. This is worrying because Barcelona’s next match is against the experts of high pressing in stages, Atlético Madrid. When a team is 5-0 up, you can expect a slight reduction in focus, but addressing these defensive problems will be key if Barça are going to get a win against Atlético because the Barcelona defence has looked frail so far this season when put under pressure.
Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images.
Efficient Trio
The high pressing from Leganés played right into the hands of the front three because it gave them plenty of space to play in. They took advantage of this straight away with each of them scoring in the first-half for the first time ever. It seems like this theme could be relevant each game due to how prolific the M-S-N trident are. However, it is specifically noteworthy this week due to this being the first La Liga game where all three have started. The trio is looking menacing going into the Atlético game, so hopefully they can inflict some revenge after being dumped out of the Champions League by the same team last season.
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