Bayern Munich and Barcelona - Tactical analysis under new managers

BARCELONA

Barcelona had a very impressive 7-0 rout of Levante on the opening day of the La Liga season. It was Gerardo Martino’s first league game in charge, and everyone was to curious to see how the team’s tactics shaped up compared to what were used last season under Tito Vilanova.

Barcelona team that started in the La Liga opener against Levante

Formation:

Martino continued with the typical Barcelona 4-3-3 formation, where he chose Fabregas over Iniesta and Adriano over Jordi Alba at left-back. Alexis Sanchez started as the right forward, while Lionel Messi was played in the false number 9 role.

It was a very fluid system, where Sergio Busquets went back to support Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano in defence, while the wing-backs advanced ahead into the opponents’ half. Hence, the 4-3-3 quickly changed into an attacking 3-4-3 very quickly. This also allowed the team to maintain a strong defensive shape even while being on the attack.

Having Neymar in the team gives Martino an extra attacking option, whom he can bring on as an impact sub or start the game as per the demand of the tactics.

The most preferred Barcelona team line-up and formation in previous season

Tactics:

The tactics under Vilanova were debatable, as the pressing style which was prominent under Guardiola started to become non-existent. Tata Martino brought back the high-pressing game to Barcelona, and the team fought hard to retain possession. The tactics bore fruit as Barca enjoyed 78% possession, and made 8 successful tackles in Levante’s half.

Width:

Another flaw in Vilanova’s team was the lack of exploiting the flanks. Martino changed that in the game against Levante, and Fabregas and Alves used the full of the width of the field to the maximum to set up goals.

Verdict:

Martino couldn’t have asked for a better start to his tenure at Barca, and his preferred tactics are in total sync with the football tradition at the club. Despite having won the La Liga last season, many Barca fans will remember the season for the thrashing that the team received from Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and Martino will be keen to set the record straight this season.

One of his biggest challenges would to integrate Neymar into the team. Despite Sanchez and Pedro showing excellent form, there is a lot of push from fans and media to get Neymar into the team. However, Martino isn’t a person who is likely to cave in to this kind of pressure, and nor should he.