Celta 2-2 Barcelona: The German Wall

Although at times underused, Barcelona´s bench has had a greater impact this season compared to last year. Paulinho´s 8 goals, Dembélé´s and Coutinho´s performances, and that part of the season when Vermaelen covered Umtiti´s absence, Semedo on quite a few matches, those encounters on which Denis, entering on the second time, has improved the team, and Alcácer´s contributions either on the left or on the center. All of this has made an impact that sometimes meant victory and points for the blaugranas. The tactical evolution of the team, favoring a structure beyond the individualities has helped the players who´ve had less action, to an extent; it has not allowed them to have greater protagonism, or to raise their level, but it has made them useful when the times call for something different. Last night´s match in Vigo, however, was new and different. With the Cup Final on the horizon, Barca´s starting eleven didn´t care about the balance between subs and usual players, instead it prioritized the team´s rest, using a team not unlike those that usually play the starting Cup matches against rivals in lower divisions. From the defense to the attack, each of the lines was occupied by men unlikely to star this Saturday against Sevilla.

Things as they were, the FC Barcelona that came out to play on Balaidos was a perfect representation of the juggling game that has been their season, clearly reflected on a midfield short of real alternatives for the most important figures. The trio of Busquets, Iniesta and Rakitic have increased their number of touches and passes since Valverde took charge; they have gained more weight on the creation of plays, and have been important to maintain the focus on control that the Spanish manager wants. Last night, the midfield was composed of two conductors and a box-to-box, the most immediate consequence of this was that instead of controlling the game from the start, the match was an open dispute and an exchange of attacks, with very little of the match being played on the central part of the field.

With André Gomes on the center, Paulinho to his right and Denis Suárez on the left, the ball moved quickly from one box to the other, making protagonists of Ter Stegen, Dembélé and Coutinho. Of special note was the brazilian´s work, he was almost the only one of the team who gave the required pause to the attacks, and because of his positioning on the left he gave Paulinho more freedom on the right to perform his usual approximations onto the rival area.

On the opposite side, one of Celta´s men also performed a very noteworthy match; Iago Aspas, initially playing on the right side but ultimately have absolute freedom in his movements, was a thorn in the side of the cule´s midfield. He exploited Busquets´ absence, and centered his attacks on Gomes´side, knowing he didn´t have the positional knowledge and mastery of attack-defense transitions that the La Masia graduate does have. He challenged the Barca defenders, especially Yerri Mina, still in his period of adaptation and playing a bit too much for himself; although he was fine on the direct fights for the ball, he tended to go forward on one too many occasions, creating spaces at his back. This problem intensified with the expulsion of Sergi Roberto; without him and the work he was performing, Aspas had almost infinite spaces, and put the Catalan defense in countless dangerous situations, which the team was able to survive only because of ter Stegen´s absolutely brilliant performance.

If when Barcelona had the advantage they relied on the attackers, when they didn´t they placed all their bets on the goalkeeper. The german was the final barrier against Iago´s genius; he wasn´t born in Berlin, but last night, and this whole season, he was the German Wall.

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On this account, dedicated to Johan Cruyff´s memory and legacy, I will analyze football matches, players, and teams. Remember to vote and follow if you liked the content, and remember: football is played with the head, feet are just the tools.