Tactical Analysis of Xavi's Al-Sadd

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernández has returned to the club amid much fanfare. He played 767 games for the club and won everything there was to win in club football in a 17-year stint in the senior team. He then plied his trade in Qatar for four years from 2015 till 2019 with Al-Sadd, a team which he went on to manage for two years.

The players at his disposal in Barcelona will be very different from what he had at Al-Sadd. Without a doubt, the challenges will be different in Spain and Europe. An insight into the tactics deployed by him in Al-Sadd will give us a look into what might be in-store at Barcelona.

Xavi's Coaching Philosophy

Xavi won seven trophies in a relatively short stint as manager at Al-Sadd. He successfully infused his philosophy into the players and transformed the club from a transition-based team to a possession-based team. The 41-year-old successfully revived tiki-taka in Qatar.

Under Xavi, Al-Sadd averaged 2.20 points per game. In the 2019-20 season, Al-Sadd were crowned QSL Champions and were the most dominant team in the campaign, scoring 77 goals and conceding just 14. The defending champions currently sit at the top of the league table, three points clear of Al-Duhail.

The formation used by Xavi

For Xavi, the players' role and philosophy have always been more important than the system. Al-Sadd are very fluid in their formation and are dynamic in their shape while defending and attacking.

Tiki-taka is often associated with the 4-3-3 formation, but depending on the opposition, Xavi fielded his men in a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. Al-Sadd is structured to be more possession-based and in several areas of the field, the main objective is to create numerical superiority.

The presence of players who can play multiple roles adds to the fluidity of play. Players always look up to the free man.

Xavi plays a 343 or a 4231 formation depending on the opposition. For example - In the second instance, since the opposition plays 3 man upfront, Xavi plays a 4 man backline to control the game.

Build-up play

Al-Sadd builds up from the back. Centre-backs are given ball-playing roles after receiving the ball and defensive midfielders tend to create passing opportunities. In wide areas, full-backs offer options and stay wide.

Midfielders stay closer, which draws opponents and this positional set-up eventually creates space for the attacking midfielder. Wingers often hug the touchline to provide passing options. Al-Sadd plays patiently against a high-pressing team to soak up pressure, which frees a man upfront.

During the build-up, Al-Sadd resembles Barcelona's tiki-taka - one-touch passes and runs to receive the ball quickly. Quick passes follow in this scrupulous build-up which is testament to the fact that Al-Sadd dominated possession of the ball under Xavi with an average of over 60%.

Defensive midfielders orchestrate Al-Sadd's play. Generally, Woo-Young Jung and Guilherme Torres play this role, who are excellent passing players, with a pass completion rate of over 90%. Santi Cazorla is one of the league's best players and is a crucial part of the setup. He also drops deep and pulls the strings.

A mid-fielder drops deep to receive the ball, and the full-backs stay wide to create passing options in the initial phase of build-up. This creates numerical superiority. The wingers move wide to stretch the defensive line.

Utility of the width

Wide areas are crucial in the offense for Al-Sadd's tactics. The wingers and full-backs stay wide to stretch the defensive line and draw players. This creates a numerical overload on the wings. The wingers and full-backs make alternative runs to the half-space and the flanks.

The occupation of vertical spaces by two players is different from the style used by Pep Guardiola. Midfielders make sideways passes to the wings and plays are switched between wings to stretch the opposition. Crosses and passes are typical from the wide areas.

Overloading the wings. Wingers and full-backs make alternative runs to the half-spaces and the flank.

The Final Third

Al-Sadd offers scoring options in both central and wide areas. The target man upfront is given a free role in the box. He is fed both through balls and crosses.

Al-Sadd is extremely fast while creating scoring opportunities. To make passing plays and break defensive lines, the striker often plays his back to goal.

Positions are fluid among players. They lay off the ball, make a run to meet the ball. The play happens with elegant one-touch passes, dribbles, and flicks.

Al-Sadd has failed to score in only six percent of their matches in all competitions. The number of goals makes them a very lethal scoring unit.

Ball Pressing by Al-Sadd

Al-Sadd is involved in ball-oriented pressing. The team presses aggressively to win the ball in the opposition's half as quickly as possible. The player closest to the ball presses the opposition with the ball. Then another player rushes to the void to reduce the opposition's passing lane and fill the void created by the former player.

Pressing from the front to quickly win the ball back. Pressure is ball-oriented.

Defensive structure by Al-Sadd

The defensive line and the midfield form two lines of defense. Al-Sadd played in a 5-4-1 while defending. In his first season as a coach, the transition from offense to defense was a significant concern for Xavi, which cost them the league.

He then strengthened his defensive line by playing an additional man in the three-man backline. However, Al-Sadd play a high defensive line and sometimes struggle to deal with balls played behind the defense. Winning aerial duels is also a challenge sporadically.

Defending with 2 lines of players.

Is Xavi ready for Barcelona?

There is no question that Xavi lacks European experience. Joan Laporta also said that it would have been better for Xavi to first coach Barcelona B. However, Xavi's legacy and his style of play make him the best candidate.

Many of the highly talented players at La Masia are accustomed to his style. They will be able to learn a great deal from one of the best. Barcelona fans will have patience with Xavi since he makes his team play with Barcelona DNA.

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