Xavi has come to 2nd in the table from taking over Barca, where the team is ranked 9th in La Liga, to now claim 40 La Liga points. The team's attack, from the most primitive side-breaking cross, to the delicate ribs hitting the wall and interspersed running positions, can be described as a hundred flowers.
When Pedri hit a long-range shot that rivaled Messi's, he was flanked by Dembele, who delivered seven brilliant passes. The combination of the two of them makes Barca seem to have a messi in 2019.
01. Harvey's tactical underpinnings: from winger dominance to full-back adduction
Dembele braced up a strong flank: this is the basis of Xavi's offensive attrition
With the run-in in training, Dembele and Alves have gradually found a tacit understanding, and the idea of the winger on the Xavi tactical board to support a strong outside line + full-backs to increase the number of midfielders has gradually been revealed.
On the other side, the passing advantages of Pedri and Alba, coupled with The strong interspersing ability of Ferran Torres (unfortunately, it will only be interspersed and will not shoot), make the attack as a whole run efficiently.
As you can see from the picture below, this time when Alves closed the midfield and Dembele pulled away, Barca's two central defenders Pedri and De Jong stepped forward strongly and came to the back of the forward.
The basis for Barca to stand and unfold the formation in this way is that Dembele can suppress a side strongly, so that Sevilla's formation is tightened to the middle, and Barca's full-backs can rest assured to close inwards, making up for the space left in the middle of the central forward.
At the same time, there are busquets and 2 center-backs in the middle of the outside line, forming a very beautiful 4-man grab point in the penalty area, and 5 people outside the box control the second drop point.
Unfortunately, Sevilla's center-backs have better air defense capabilities than Real Madrid, dembele's strong cross this time failed to pass the front point Diego Carlos, to find The Opposite 2 Centre-Backs Ino Aubameyang.
However, the landing point of the breakout was still controlled by Barca, and Xavi's team was invincible at the tactical level.
b. Full-backs and midfield organisers: Both Alba and Alves can
Dembele delivered a staggering 7 brilliant passes (key passes to the goal) in this game, 2 of which brought absolute scoring opportunities and 1 assist.
Although the number of goals he conceded is still high, who will remember? More importantly, Dembele also had 2 steals and 1 interception, for a total of 3 successful defensive contributions.
Because Dembele's strong base on the flanks can bring the advantage of Alba's recoil organization. Special attention needs to be paid to Ferran Torres on the left, who has average ball ability, but moves well without the ball and is fast.
Once he has the chance, Ferran Torres, who has pulled away to the far side, can also close in at any time, which is why Harvey likes him.
In this wave of attack, Pedri shifted the ball, Alba became a midfielder, although his over-the-top ball was released, but Dembele took the ball strongly after the second wonderful pass, but unfortunately De Jong flew a great opportunity.
02. Advantage from the flanks to the ribs: Xavi's Barcelona attack has taken shape
Statistically, Barca shot 19-8 on goal, 6-3 on target, the team only scored 1 goal or because the front line is not efficient, missed at least 2 or more absolute scoring opportunities.
Pedri is now a very important player for Barca, and his presence allows the team to stabilize the ball in the situation and then turn the ball upside down to create a chance for a sudden start.
In particular, there are masters of quick pours like Busquets in the middle, which makes things easier.
As you can see from the GIF, Alba and Pedri's passing combination attracted defenders closer to them, and then Pedri moved the ball out, and the situation suddenly opened up.
Dembele took the ball away from the back and started to speed up, directly looking for Aubameyang to let the latter into the box to shoot, but unfortunately was deflected by the goalkeeper.
Why Pedri is the successor of Xavi and Iniesta, because he is not only able to lead the control, but more importantly, run actively. The perfect combination of Alba and Pedri is largely due to the fact that the midfielder's reception is too timely.
This time Pedri received the ball and went into the box strongly, such a talent has made countless Barca fans close their mouths and legs, and even their hands can not be idle.
03. Victory comes from the display of talent: the genius in Harvey's hands is even more dazzling
a. What if the striker doesn't score? Pedri hit a Messi-style shot
If you look at Pedri's stats, you'll see similarities with Dembele. Harvey's team allows mistakes because the team's tactical framework has enough fault tolerance, due to the suppression of strong points and the full participation of the defense.
Pedri, the attacking core of the team, completed 4 steals and 2 interceptions, so his 13 losses are on the high side of Barca's midfield culture, but they are harmless.
How did Barca's goal come about? Dembele was close to the bottom line when he took the ball, but when he was strong enough to retract inwards, the Sevilla defender tightened into the box, leaving room for the top of the arc.
It is because Dembele is too easy to pass, and at the same time, it is difficult for the opponent to predict the landing point, and can only increase the number of retreats, resulting in the top of the penalty area arc Pedri being emptied.
After Pedri received the ball, he was not in a hurry, and the Sevilla defender was in a hurry to push out the end of the crossbow, and was passed by a light dunk.
In the end, Pedri fired a Messi-style long-range shot, relying on personal ability. If Barca's striker can have such a shot, I am afraid that every field will be a big victory of 4 goals.
b. Camp Nou fans understand the ball: Dembele enjoys applause
After entering 2022, Dembele delivered 8 assists and created 8 excellent scoring opportunities, both of which are the first of the five major leagues!
It was Harvey's tactics and high fault tolerance that allowed Dembele to find the most suitable position for him.
As can be seen from the GIF, Dembele's pass is the reason why the opponent had to close in the penalty area when defending Pedri before. He can pass the ball at any time with both feet, and the opponent is really invincible.
Of course, we should also note that Ferran Torres's no-ball movement is also a perfect score, which is why Harvey likes him, but unfortunately, the shooting is too random.
What Dembele insisted on doing was to keep delivering great passes, and then Ferran Torres ran and ran to catch the easy scoring opportunities, but unfortunately missed it again.
Maybe when Ferran Torres becomes the Golden Boot goalscorer, or when he's replaced by someone who can really score goals, it's Xavi's Barca's chances of reaching Europe.
Of course, the premise is that Dembele is healthy, and that he can stay in this team, or have someone who can replace him.
Conclusion:
Having a talented coach, and a group of talented youngsters, that's why Barca are on the rise. Hopefully, Harvey will keep every player he wants to keep and get the squad reinforcement he wants. How far are Barca from the next Dream Team? Maybe this summer's transfer window will be extremely critical.
(Lust)