Saif

Barcelona employed a well-defined tactical approach to neutralize Atalanta's high press, which can be summarized as follows: create space through intelligent off-the-ball movement and find ways to break free from markers to take advantage of this space. 🧵🎥 

Barcelona aimed to establish numerical superiority in midfield by having either Lewandowski or Raphinha drop deeper.
Their off-ball movements opened up spaces in Atalanta’s defense, pulling defenders Djimsiti and Hein out of position then attack the vacated space. 

Two minutes later, Barça tried to advance down their right flank once more, leveraging their forwards' off-the-ball movement to create opportunities. 

When Kounde gets the ball, Lamine drops deep, pulling Kolasinac with him. Kounde passes back instead of forward. As Barcelona circulates possession, Raphinha shifts from left to right.

Hein hesitated before jumping, giving Raphinha the opportunity to turn and play a pass to Lamine. 
By dropping deep, Lamine dragged Kolasinac out of position, opening up a significant gap for Raphinha to attack down the flank. 

Barcelona's first goal illustrates the tactical benefits available to the player receiving the inside diagonal pass.
Diagonal passing combinations enable the receiver to collect the ball in a more advantageous, attacking position.

As Balde deliveres a pass to Lewandowski, Raphinha spun away from his marker and surged forward.
The connecting diagonal pass was amplified by Lewandowski’s intelligent body positioning upon receiving the ball, allowing him to quickly release Raphinha into the open space. 

While Barcelona adapted their attacking approach on the fly, their OOP seemed to have some issues.
They frequently push multiple players forward to compress opponents into tight spaces on one flank, aiming to quickly capitalize on regained possession.

However, this aggressive approach left gaps for Atalanta to exploit whenever they won loose balls or outmuscled Barcelona in challenges.

In the 11th minute, Zappacosta passed forward and made a run. Barcelona intercepted, but Pedri’s misplaced pass returned possession. 
Zappacosta, unmarked, received a ball over the top and tried to set up Retegui, but Balde and Szczęsny combined to block the deflected shot. 

Barcelona’s tendency to overcommit to one side was exposed again in the 35th minute. As Atalanta played a pass into the middle, De Jong tried to plug the space between Araújo and Eric García.

However, his positioning left him unable to intercept the ball as it found Pasalic. 
Atalanta overloaded the box, forcing four Barcelona defenders and De Jong to drop deep.

When De Jong stepped up to press Ederson on the edge of the box, García and Araújo followed, leaving Charles De Ketelaere free to receive Ederson’s pass in the gap between them. 
The sequence ended with Zappacosta finishing into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. 

Despite trailing, Atalanta stuck to their plan. 
In the 50th minute, De Ketelaere dropped deep, found space, and passed to Pašalić, who exploited the gap between Koundé and Araújo as Pedri failed to track him.
 
Pašalić forced a save from Szczęsny, a warning Barcelona ignored. 

Seven minutes after Barça second goal, Atalanta equalized again. De Ketelaere drew Cubarsí out, passed to Cuadrado on the right, while De Roon made a smart run unnoticed by De Jong or Pedri.
As Cuadrado assessed options, De Jong briefly covered the gap between Koundé and Araújo.

Cuadrado picked De Roon, and De Jong hesitated, letting Pašalić exploit the same space again.
De Roon surged between Cubarsí and Balde, delivering a curling cross.
As Koundé and Araújo struggled with Pašalić, Szczęsny stayed on his line, and Pašalić calmly finished the chance. 

Whether through tactical tweaks, better individual performances, or enhanced team discipline, strengthening the defense is essential for Barça to realizing their full potential. 

As the competition moves into the knockouts, the room for error diminishes significantly.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to explore the full article, you can find it here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thefarpost/p/barca-flick-attack-is-a-work-of-art?r=2cajpg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 

Thoughts on Tottenham vs Manchester United 🧵

In the first half, Porro's relentless pursuit of Diogo Dalot into ManU’s territory created significant gaps in Tottenham's defensive line, exploited by Bruno Fernandes, who consistently made penetrating runs into the vacated spaces. 

Below, Fernandes maneuvered past Sarr, yet his cross was adeptly intercepted by Dragusin. 
Manchester United's most promising chances predominantly arose from the left flank, where Dalot consistently set up Christian Eriksen, allowing him several opportunities to convert. 

The situation intensified in the 23rd minute when Pape Matar Sarr, in an attempt to curtail Fernandes' influence, was cautioned for committing a foul on the edge of the box. 

When Solanke extended Spurs' lead to 3-0 in the 54th minute, the game appeared to be firmly in their control. However, Amorim introduced Amad and Zirkzee in place of Anthony and Højlund, respectively, followed shortly by Mainoo stepping in for Eriksen.

While the overall team shape remained unchanged, subs were designed to exploit Tottenham's high defensive line.
Ange's squad received an early warning of Zirkzee's threat in the 62nd minute, as the Dutch forward's powerful header required a crucial intervention from Forster. 

Shortly thereafter, a shift in momentum ensued.
United's first goal instilled confidence, while the second stemmed from a breakdown in communication during the build-up. 
However, Amad proved to be the decisive factor, capitalizing on the opportunity with his quick thinking.

Archie Gray executed a precise backward pass to Forster, who was immediately pressured by Amad's relentless pursuit. Forster attempted to clear the ball after allowing it to roll across his body, yet his clearance inadvertently struck Amad. 

Amad's strategic positioning and intelligent runs effectively overshadowed Gray and limiting Forster's passing options.
His efforts contributed to the deflected shot that ultimately ricocheted into the net. 

Spurs secured a spot in the Carabao Cup SF, despite  Forster's two costly errors that contributed to United's goals. 
Leading comfortably at 3-0 after an outstanding hour of play, bolstered by two goals from  Solanke and another from Kulusevski, Ange side appeared in control.

Spurs employed a pressing approach resembling a 4-3-3 formation, with Sarr and Maddison effectively challenging Bruno and Ugarte. Bissouma played a pivotal role, patrolling the spaces between the lines and monitoring Eriksen.

As for United's pressing, they used a 5-1-3-1 formation to create expansive traps for ball recovery.
Hojlund initiated the press with a well-timed curved run, closing the angle of one CB while shifting to engage the other, thereby forcing a lateral pass.

Both teams experienced challenges when their pressing lacked coordination, which resulted in significant gaps to cover, and a disadvantageous numerical balance during buildup play for both teams.

#TOTMUN #CarabaoCup