Lliga: Malaga - Barcelona 0-0

The result isn't alarming, but the fact that we got 0 shots on target is concerning. All these excuses about the pitch are not gonna fly anymore. People will just laugh at us if we use that as a reason for a poor showing.

Lackluster showing indeed. I can see us winning La Liga but not competing for the CL.

Sergi Roberto -- Triple Nutella sandwich + coca cola, lethal combo. If only he'd be as lethal on the pitch...

I think that's what they eat after the game, Flavia.

Couldn't watch the game and when I saw the result in the morning



We need another ways to break buses down. Hopefully Lucho has some ideas.

We might of won this type of game in the past with a big goal from Villa, Eto or Henry or a header from Puyol. We might of lost this as well. Not a terrible result, hope this will sharpen our attack and make them hungry next game.

I've only watched the first half so far, but an interesting game for me. Even when Barça isn't playing at the top of their game, it's a puzzle to figure out why. Got me thinking about the Lucho Barça, and what he's trying to do. Some comments, about the game and about 2014 Barça, in no particular order:

1. Give Malaga some credit. This bunker defense was specifically designed for Barça's attack.

This photo shows the default formation for both Barça attacking and Malaga defending:




Barça shows the new Lucho era attacking formation: 2 Centerbacks, 3 Midfielders playing centrally in a diamond (with Messi false 9 shuttling in his dual role between the top of the diamond and the front line), 2 Wingbacks providing playing on the touchlines, and 3 attackers playing centrally.

Now Malaga, playing extremely compact and narrow, conceding the wings entirely- but what catches your eye about this bus? This is not your 4-4-2, or 5-4-1, or 4-5-1- it's a 4-3-3 bus, specifically designed to nullify Barça's formation. Ingenious move by Malaga coach Javi Gracia (who also drew Barça away at Osasuna last season).

What are the matchups in the various areas of the two formations? The forwards are covered with an extra man, 4 vs 3. The centerbacks are completely free, 0 v 2, as are the wingbacks, 0 vs 2, but Malaga doesn't care, because they can't contribute meaningfully to the attack (or, at least, easy to reposition if an attack comes down the wings so far out at the touch lines).

The key factor, and why Iniesta seemed so ineffectual in this game, is the extra man in the midfield. With the usual bus, and only 1 or 2 players to cover Rakitic|Busquets|Iniesta, the Barça trio has no problem moving the ball around them and finding different angles of attack (even if still finding a congested box in the end). However, by moving 1 player into the midfield, Malaga didn't even allow them this freedom. Look at the photo: even if one of the Barça midfielders were to be able to receive the ball without it being intercepted, or without being immediately closed down, what are they going to do with it? Each of their fellow midfielders is essentially man-marked and unavailable; the forwards are man marked by the back line (with an extra player), and the second line is also position to cut off passing angles. So Malaga is essentially funnelling Barça passes either back to the defenders or out to the wingbacks.

So, "Crossalona," wasn't by Lucho's design- it was by Malaga's. Barça (at least in the half I've watched so far), did exactly what Malaga wanted them to do.

More in coming posts.

You can see in the picture that the team si too stretched. The distances between the man composing the diamond are too big. Malaga has practically 3 men in the center, and we have none, ZERO. This is a very rigid system Lucho is playing, very non-Barca like.

Malaga basically put 6 players in midfield. It was 6 vs 3. What Lucho should have done, is play Alba and Alves (Douglas was a fatal mistake) more centrally. Not glued to the line. And have one of the two CBs a little higher up the pitch than the other one. Again width does not help much in this type of game, especially considering how we lack height into the box.

serghei said:

Malaga basically put 6 players in midfield. It was 6 vs 3. What Lucho should have done, is play Alba and Alves (Douglas was a fatal mistake) more centrally. Not glued to the line. And have one of the two CBs a little higher up the pitch than the other one. Again width does not help much in this type of game, especially considering how we lack height into the box.

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I agree- moving the wingbacks off the line should have been an immediate adjustment- still wide enough to receive a pass, but close enough to pose a more imminent attacking threat, and drag some of the Malaga players outside to give a bit more space to the midfielders.

Haven't watched the second half, but Douglas seemed okay first half, given what he was asked to do.

Yes, the setup is too rigid. The formation itself is okay in general (I won't talk about this and that player should be 5 inches closer or wider) but in possession the players need the freedom to leave their areas, come towards each other and create overloads in certain zones. Rakitic and Iniesta have as good as 0 interplay with each other the entire season now.





Iniesta in possession. Rakitic somewhere on the other side of the pitch waiting in his zone. Iniesta's only possibility is to turn and play a pass to Alba.

Now compare this to 10/11:





After Barcelona win the ball back Abidal is building from the back (he is playing CB here). Watch where Xavi and Iniesta are initially. Also pay attention to the bald guy (Bruno?) marking Xavi and where he will be later on.



Abidal driving forward and passing the ball to Iniesta. Watch how Xavi is meanwhile moving towards Iniesta's zone to make himself available.



Xavi and Iniesta 5 yards away from each other now in Iniesta's zone. Meanwhile Messi has also moved towards the ball while between the lines and Iniesta is passing the ball on to him.



This is just 4 seconds later. After Iniesta passed the ball to Messi the Villarreal players are looking to close him down. There are now 5 players in that zone (including the baldy who was initially marking Xavi in picture 1) but Messi immediately passes it back to Xavi who is now passing it to right side of the pitch where there is acres of space. It only took 3 passes to shift half of Villarreal's team to one side of the pitch.

Obviously you will never pull the formation of the opponent apart when the players just rigidly stay in their zones like under Lucho and the "bus" will look unbreakable.

Ursegor said:

Obviously you will never pull the formation of the opponent apart when the players just rigidly stay in their zones like under Lucho and the "bus" will look unbreakable.

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This part, plus what Berkeley said how the middle is crowded, and then we get our play from the last 2 Seasons, when people say that we don't play possession football, Tiki-Taka, through the middle and similar things.

It is not that Tata or Lucho asked players to play down the wings and similar.
We just can't do anything anymore through the middle, and all we can do is cross, cross and cross.
And play 0:0 and 1:1 all the time and lose all trophies eventually.

The teams have learned how to play against us.
Their middle/the bus is stronger and stronger each Season, and our team is moving/running less and less and we will never move around/run like in 2009 or 2011.

People used to say in the last 2-3 Seasons, that we only have to go back to our roots and that everything will be fine.
But, there are a few legit questions:
1. if we assume that we will never have players as good for our style and on their peak like younger Messi, younger Xavi, younger Iniesta...
-- should we then try to force the same style/formation/tactics from 2008-2011, even though it will never work the same as then because both:
a) other teams are better and better in neutralizing us
b) our team is not, and will never be again as suitable for that style as it was back in those years

2. or should we try to slightly adjust/change our formation/style/tactics because, again:
a) we need something new because too many teams (especially in Europe) learned how to neutralize us
b) our current set of players is different and is not that suitable for our legendary style

Before someone says that everything is fine, and that we just need to run/press more:
1. Messi will never be Messi from 2006, 2008 or 2010
-- he runs much less, he is older, he lost the motivation
-- he will just never be as good as back then
2. Xavi, the brain of Barcelona, or basically the only guy in the world who can be a successful playmaker in our legendary Tiki-Taka, is old/gone/finished
3. Iniesta is older and is declining
4. Alves is much weaker than back then

So, no.
We just can't suddenly start to run more/press more, play exactly the same as 5 years ago.

1 Season was just a bad luck.
2nd Season with same mistakes, something was already strange.
Last Season was already the 3rd Season with the same "problems".
If it will continue this Season, then surely we have a huge problem and it will be never fixed with a simple: "we just need to run and press more"

Our team is still living in dreams and is locked in past and in famous years from 5 years ago when we had the best team ever and when no one knew yet how to defend against us.

Egert said:

Couldn't watch the game and when I saw the result in the morning

We need another ways to break buses down. Hopefully Lucho has some ideas.

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It wasn't even usual bus, they went after Iniesta and Messi, they boxed in them, pushed them and fouled them and left wings open thus destroying our build up, forcing us to play Douglas and Alba, I am not worried I think it was one time thing, when we will play Alves (and Suarez in one month) teams won't be able to pull Malaga's strategy again.

The rigid system is there to provide back-up for fullbacks in case the ball is lost and the opponent tries immediately to pass the ball onto the wing (usually by hoofing). So it may be the thing that you have to sacrifice in order to keep those clean sheets, especially in tricky away games. But I basically agree, the system looks a bit too rigid and remains to be seen is it due to the fact that it still early season (Lucho's words that there are so many things to improve) or the system will basically remain the same despite creating hardships to break the buses in such matches (lets hope that Suarez helps or smth). If it is intentional sacrifice, then... the attack should win you a game and defence championships, but in La Liga...things are different.
Great discussion, btw.

rixxer said:

The rigid system is there to provide back-up for fullbacks in case the ball is lost and the opponent tries immediately to pass the ball onto the wing (usually by hoofing). So it may be the thing that you have to sacrifice in order to keep those clean sheets, especially in tricky away games.

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I agree. It appears to me that what Lucho is after is a more defensively sound midfield, no longer as much the creative engine that was the heart of Pep's Barça.

BerkeleyBernie said:

I agree. It appears to me that what Lucho is after is a more defensively sound midfield, no longer as much the creative engine that was the heart of Pep's Barça.

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Yes, but that much rigidness is detrimental. Lucho needs to find a balance when using the fb's, width is not needed all the time, or in both sides at once. Iniesta needs to combine with Messi and Rakitic more, and vice versa.
The "Messidependencia" was once on him scoring, now it's on him creating.

http://static1.ad.nl/static/photo/2014/6/10/4/20140925205445/media_xll_2508139.jpg

List of things they ate after the game against Malaga, might be unnecessary, but people might be interested.