Saif

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.

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