The Highlights:
The Breakdown:
A quick breakdown of Barcelona’s goals yesterday. As I was saying the emergence of a legitimate threat from the outside strikers was going to be key to Barcelona regaining their form. Every team’s strategy has been to clog messi by throwing bodies at him, and as the defense gravitates and spaces open, someone has to exploit them. Finally, they did.
This is the first goal. if you look messi (at the bottom with the ball ) is making his run and as usual the ENTIRE defense has collapsed around him. Seven players within 10 Meters of him. Notice on top however Sanchez (above the ref) is perfectly positioned to receive this ball and slot it into the net. His finish was brilliant.
This is the third goal. If you notice that is Pique driving into ACRES of space in the defense, created by Sanchez at the VERY top of the screen holding his ground wide, and dani alves (off the screen at the very bottom right) who eventually gets the ball. Messi (on the bottom left just outside the circle) has drawn the defensive midfielders to himself. As pique charges, the defense is essentially exposed with their pants down, and Pique runs straight at the two centre halves and sets up a perfect goal.
This is the final goal. Messi has received a pass and is headed toward goal. Compare this to the first photo, where they were willing to leave the strikers wide open in order to stop messi. Now, after Sanchez and villa combine for 3 goals, they decide that they are legitimate threats that must be accounted for, and they are marked very tightly. This of course leaves messi 1v1 which is always going to be a disaster. He bursts around his man and slots home a perfect finish. But it is that emergence of villa and Sanchez play that allowed this play to happen.
Barca Soccer Fan 