Whether Xavi's Barca can win depends on the efficiency of the offensive end. After reinforcing several attackers such as Ferran Torres, Aubameyang and Adama in the winter window, Xavi fell into the run-in period of adjusting the lineup, but forgot the offensive routine that had been effective before this. Luke De Jong came out too late today, otherwise Xavi would really be able to lead the team to a reversal and win.
01. Adama has a huge advantage: the striker is not well matched
Adama is still the source of attack: space is what he makes
Barca's thinking on the offensive end is to open the width of the wings through Adama and Albarra, especially Adama as a strong side with the ball, he will take the initiative to attack with the ball, even if it can not directly break the game, it can also attract the Espanyol defense to move towards him, so that Alba can get the opportunity to open the far end.
The key point is how Barça completes the work of grabbing points in front of the goal after opening on both sides, which is also the biggest shortcoming of Barça in this game.
How did Barca's first goal come about? It was Adama's strong incision on the flank that attracted the attention of the 4-man defence. He does pass at average timing and is less efficient on goal.
However, Barca's teammates' ability to harvest two penalties and launch a second attack is far better than Wolves, so it can make up for Adama's deficiencies.
As can be seen from the GIF, Adamaneche later tried to pass to the far end of Alba's mistake, but Busquets successfully counter-attacked at the first time, allowing Alba to send the ball out to find Pedri who was unguarded at the back point of the penalty area, helping the Golden Boy winner score.
b. The striker partner is not suitable: Adama's advantage is not fully unleashed
The problem is that Barca's starting attacker is not suitable, resulting in Adama's core advantage not being fully released. The winger won 11 head-to-head and 1-on-1 clashes in 18 head-to-head matches, completed 5 successful passes, delivered 2 key passes to bring shots, 1 absolute scoring chance, and 1 assist.
As you can see from the GIF, Adama was very relaxed after a strong cross from the wing, but unfortunately this time Ferran Torres's header was high.
Looking at this attack again, Adama completed a high-quality cross on the flank, but unfortunately Pedri and Alba in the box wrapped two points in a row, but the ball did not fly towards the goal.
02. Barca scored in the first half: Ferran Torres could not beat a single striker
A. Ferran Torres can't beat a single striker: Barca attack inefficiently
In the last game Barca won 4-2 at home to Atletico, Ferran Torres did not perform well as a striker, but the magical shooting efficiency of his teammates masked his problems.
In the first half against Espanyol, Barca and their opponents were both 6 shots on goal and 2 shots on target, but Barca created 3 excellent scoring opportunities, and the opponent was 0. It follows that Harvey's team has an advantage in terms of offensive creativity, but the efficiency of the strikers is the key to turning the advantage into victory.
Ferran Torres's running on the offensive end is still too self-serving, and he lacks a certain amount of cover and sacrifice spirit. When there is an opportunity to switch between attack and defense, Ferran Torres rarely chooses to take on the near front point more strongly, but runs the back point empty.
The problem is that he is the only arrow in the front line, if Ferran only thinks about "eating bread", then Barça is equal to no one can eat cake.
It can be clearly seen from the GIF that Barca after Pedri took the ball is a good opportunity, if Ferran Torres runs to the center back to receive, on the one hand, it will be conducive to Pedri's ball, on the other hand, it will also drive the Espanyol defense to the top of the screen, so that Garvey has a back-point opportunity.
As a result, Ferran Torres hid behind the centre-back, and Pedri's straight foot was intercepted by the Spaniard centre-back.
In addition, after Adama successfully advanced several times, Ferran Torres's reception position was also very bad, more hiding behind the center-back, which would require Adama to have higher passing accuracy. It also has to go over the top of the centre-back and control the strength, which Adama can't do.
b. Disadvantages in the confrontation between Ferran Torres and Garcia: the reason for the difficulty between Barca
In this game, Barca actually has a great midfield advantage, and the acceleration effect of the offensive and defensive conversion is also very good, but the offensive end does not show a huge advantage, which is also related to the disadvantage of Ferran Torres.
He doesn't touch the ball high in the whole game, and it can be understood as a protrusion arrow. However, in the one-on-one confrontation of key balls, Ferran Torres only won 1 of the 4 times, and at the same time 3 shots on goal and 0 shots on target, which became a problem.
What Felan Torres needs is for his teammates to attract defense, and he uses his consciousness and efficiency behind him to complete the fatal blow.
This time Adama did the ball, Andraine Torres fought for a quasi-one-handed chance, and the goal was not surprising.
What's worse is that Araujo went off injured after half-time and Garcia returned to the centre-back position, which dealt Barca a major blow. Originally, the position of the Barça defense line was beautiful, and de Thomas's position was destined to be offside. As a result, Garcia ignored the presence of his teammates and took a big step back to keep his opponent in a safe position.
What is even more incredible is that Garcia actually made a mistake in predicting the landing point of the pass after retreating, so that De Thomas inexplicably got the ball and finally scored with a single knife.
03. Adama teaming up with Dembele: The Spaniards line is outnumbered
When Garcia returns, it's not so surprising that the team concedes one more goal, and how to make up for it on the offensive end is the key. Harvey had Adama team up with Dembele in the second half, which was a successful idea, but luke De Jong came out too late. The Dutch centre-forward played just eight minutes but got two great chances, and if he could play for an hour and a half, Barca might be able to come across.
The key point is that Dembele and Adama have too much advantage in their personal abilities, and the opponents have to arrange at least 3 people to defend at the near end, which gives Luke De Jong and Aubameyang a lot of room to grab points in the middle.
Just like this attack, Dembele took the ball on the flank and the Spaniards were like a big enemy, directly defending the 3-man near-end ribs, allowing Barca to concentrate on 3 point-grabbing attackers in the middle of the penalty area.
Unfortunately, this time Luke De Jong received Dembele's cross, and the powerful header in the penalty area was saved by the opposing goalkeeper because it was too straight, missing the opportunity to score as soon as he played.
Barca's goal of reading the second-high draw still comes from a similar routine. The Spaniards defended the flanks, but they retreated so quickly that Adama sent the cross straight from a 45° angle.
In the middle of the penalty area, Aubameyang and Luke De Jong completed a crossover run, who scored with a header.
This goal is the embodiment of Luke De Jong's advantage in grabbing points, and after dembele and Adama's two wings blessed, the Dutch center forward is really very happy.
Heading into 2022, Luke De Jong has scored four goals, again because he rarely gets a start, otherwise he would have scored more goals.
When United still insist on letting C Ronaldo, who is in the middle of the goal drought, start first, what reason does Barca have to press the in-form Luke De Jong on the bench? Even if it is a substitute, Harvey should consider giving him more time.
Conclusion:
Barca's current staffing, with more than three goals per game, is not an impossible task, the key is how to find the right staffing.
Although Luke De Jong is only a passer-by for Barca after all, and Aubameyang is only a temporary worker, if Ferran Torres is not suitable for the current offensive tactics, insisting on letting him break through may not be correct. Making the best use of people and making the most of their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses is ultimately the basis for a team to move forward.