barça guardiola formation

The common occurrence was Busquets in the defensive center of the circle, Xavi closer to him on the right, and Iniesta on the left but in an advanced position. After achieving Numerical Superiority, it’s guaranteed that the team will gain a qualitative superiority in an under-loaded side of the pitch where the one of the team’s more talented player will be matched up against the opposition’s (weakest) player. 2010-2011 proved to be the season Barcelona reached its peak level in terms of perfecting the Positional Play model under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. Iniesta the needle player that acts more as the attacking midfielder who carries the ball forward into dangerous areas taking advantage of his outstanding individual capacity to dribble. In 2008–09, FC Barcelona started a new era with a new manager, former captain and Barcelona B coach Pep Guardiola, who led the team to the first treble in Spanish football history. La Liga 2020-2021. “I will never forgive myself, I have failed,” mentions Guardiola to Manel Estiarte, his assistant, after Barcelona’s triumph over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final. Preventing the opposition’s defense from being horizontally compact which would affect the fluidity of Barcelona’s midfield. Depending on what weakness a certain opponent has and what he wants to guard against regards his own team, Guardiola can pick his personnel. Basically the moves carried out in the middle third enable the attackers to get a clear chance on goal, so that’s where the extended buildup happens. For ever so quietly, away from the main stories making the rounds in the continent, Guardiola’s Bayern have made another impressive start and are looking the best amongst all the reigning league champions. This tactic is used against defensively compact teams who congest the midfield, this leads to an increased need of technically excellent players who can control the ball under tight pressure from the midfielders and defenders. age 28 172 cm. A direct long ball from defense to attack is not favorable as this will isolate the team’s center forward against the opposition’s defense. Passionate fan of the beautiful game. And he has continued with it this season. Two strikers press Piqué and Mascherano, as a result they split wide and Busquets drops deep; known as “Salida Lavolpiana”, a concept Guardiola learned from his days in Mexico. To top that, you have Lahm, who can play any of those positions on either side. Barcelona formation [ system ] 14. Furthermore, achieving this will prove a “safety net” to protect against potential counter-attacks. It also allows him to switch from two midfielders and a striker to one midfielder and two strikers (Müller joining Lewandowski) fluidly during a game. age 32 189 cm. The 3-man backline sacrifices width for numerical superiority in dealing with opposing attackers while providing a man advantage in midfield. They had the ball much more than Real Madrid, and were far more efficient with it. If he moved up to support Lewandowski, Lahm would go right to provide width and again would be supported by Boateng. German giants Bayern Munich came calling for Guardiola’s services and he agreed to take over the reins from the 2013-14 season onwards in what was a tough act to follow as his predecessor Jupp Heynckes signed off in some style leading the Bavarians to a historic treble with a team that was devastatingly destructive. In his first three seasons at the club, Guardiola used the 4-3-3 formation that Barcelona have been synonymous with for decades. This has meant that Guardiola’s alternative formation has had to change, and he has been experimenting with a system with one traditional striker dropping deep, with a supporting cast of three – composed of Messi, Pedro Rodriguez and Andres Iniesta. For this to work, the defenders and goalkeeper must be at the highest technical level as well as being confident when in possession of the ball. Guardiola had a plan and a reason for putting in each of the players that he inserted regularly into his line-ups. © Copyright 2019 - Ronnie Dog Media All Rights Reserved. Valdes as the sweeper keeper who acts as an extra player to aid in possession and sweeps out of goal to clear any long balls. In the absence of one or both, Alaba and Rafinha tended to play in a more traditional full-back role. Isolation concept is extremely popular in basketball and this shows how Pep is universal in his methods and learning process. The mobility the Pole brings into that frontline allows Pep to use different combinations of attacking midfielders behind him. Pep Guardiola's unstoppable Barça (2008-2012) Relive the achievements one of the most phenomenal teams in sporting history. The iconic 4-3-3 was used by Pep that changes to 3-4-3 and the 3-3-4 sometimes, depending on the phases of the game, yet bear in mind that for him, numbers are of least importance. Also, unlike at Barca, this Guardiola team played a good number of good long balls because – a. their defenders weren’t the dribbly kind like Pique and b. the presence of aerially gifted players such as Müller and Mario Mandzukic. Even before we get to talking about the actual formations, I think it is essential that we fully recognize Pep’s philosophy – the philosophy to build teams on the foundations of unison, work rate, patience, ball movement, zonal play, positional play and finally dynamism, both in formations as well as personnel. Another alternative that was seen here, depending on the opposition, was to push Alves higher up the pitch and create space for Xavi to drop beside Busquets. 2. Positioning players in a diagonal manner opens up different angles for passing and makes it hard for the opposition to properly mark them without disorganizing their lines. Madrid were a side perfectly built to expose each and every flaw of this system and it was a matchup nightmare for the German side. Guardiola’s tactical journey from Barca to Bayern and why he is... May 5, 2016. Ronnie Dog Media Comm. 8 months ago, Victoria Myznikova. Mehdi Benatia’s arrival has also bolstered the defensive ranks. As has been relayed many times in the build up to his maiden term in the Camp Nou hotseat, the Dutchman will rely on a 4-2-3-1 with double pivots. Bernat played as a left winger almost when in possession, but would drop back in front of Badstuber and alongside Alonso when defending. When the German went wide right, Lahm would step into his attacking role while Boateng would support him on the flanks. Therefore, Pep’s team became famous for being “possession kings” but people understood it the wrong way therefore labelling the style as “Tiki-taka”. But wait, how can a team defend with the ball? On top of them stood Bernat, Alonso and Lahm. The area targeted will be the furthest diagonal point away from the ball where a skillful winger would be waiting for the switch. Ribery and Robben were forced to make the unnatural shift to receiving the ball and quickly giving it back, instead of venturing forward to take on the defenders which took the destructive nature out of Bayern’s attacks. NOTE: All the animations and pictures that have been used in the article were made using TacticalPad. After covering the team’s attacking aspect, the defensive side should be focused on as well. That’s not all; Guardiola has thrown in another new tweak in the Bavarian giants’ strategy, which has been quite fascinating. V. // Emiel Hertecantlaan 19a 9290 Berlare - Belgium // BTW (VAT) BE 0693988181. The two withdrawn strikers or attacking mids play a critical role as they alternate between shifting wide or tucking in behind the main striker. It was the first time we ever saw Sir Alex Ferguson a bit of sorts, an image that’ll never fade from the Champion’s League history. This formation was another continuation in the triangle system of Guardiola, except that instead of widening the pitch to stretch the defence like at Barca, here the system was about overloading the centre of the park with triangles formed all around the centremost midfielder, usually either Kroos, Lahm or Schweinsteiger. Detailed. Messi, Guardiola, Puyol & more: Barca's greatest Academy XI revealed. Whether you love his tactics or hate them, there is no disputing the fact that ‘talking tactics’ and ‘formation fiddling’ just went up to a whole new level with his coaching in play. With a full-throttle 4-3-3 formation that his successors have been using ever since, Guardiola became the club’s most successful manager of all time by winning a stupendous 15 titles in only 4 seasons to surpass his idol Johan Cruyff’s record of 11 trophies. He was tasked with resurrecting the fortunes of one of the most famous European clubs in football and bringing back the glory days to Catalonia. Barcelona started in a bad way, losing to Hercules at the Camp Nou and trailing behind Mourinho’s Real Madrid, who seemed set on breaking Barcelona’s dominance in Spain. Götze and Müller augmenting the Pole makes for a very creative frontline. Barca's 3-4-3 formation another tactical weapon for Guardiola. His players have been trained to use their head before every pass, before every action; for each action there’s a consequent reaction after it. If yes, then Villa, Pedro, Iniesta, or Xavi can exploit the space left behind and make a run towards goal. Holding possession of the ball without actually attacking the opposition’s goal; that’s what “defending with the ball” means. And hence the dynamic fluidity of the wingbacks will be something to look forward to this season. If either of Dante or Boateng got drawn out wide on the right, Badstuber would deputise in their positions and Bernat would drop further back to take Badstuber’s place. But his 4-1-4-1 formation, despite offering much flexibility, had a soft underbelly and was exposed as last season wore on and this year, in recognition of that, he has made another alteration. For example, let’s take 3 players, Pedro has the ball and located in Zone 16, Xavi in Zone 7, and Dani Alves in Zone 8. Sergino DEST. “The team that interpreted Positional Play in a most extraordinary way was the Barcelona of Pep Guardiola,” says Marti Perarnau, the author who wrote two books about Guardiola’s stint with Bayern Munich. Author: Jonathan Wilson Publish date: Sep 6, 2011. A front six of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Angel di Maria, Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso had too much pace, power, and on-ball ability to be contained by the 4-1-4-1. We have also seen Bayern operate in a 3-3-3-1 in a couple of games where three clear lines of three (defenders, holding mids, attacking mids) stack up on top of each other with a lone forward up front. That’s why Pep went out and bought Thiago Alcantara, not for old time’s sake. The pinnacle of the 2010/11 season was the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester United, a match which many considered a testimony of awe-inspiring display from a club at the highest footballing level featuring 8 players from the famous La Masia. After bypassing the first line of pressure, the team will push its lines forward and dominate the midfield by congesting as many players in that area as discussed before. The acquisition of Xabi Alonso has also greatly aided this formation as he acts as a defensive cover, partnering Lahm and due to his long-ball ability can support the attack without ceding his position from deep. So even one slip-up can be costly. After all, the man has re-defined formations and brought about a true evolution in that domain like never seen before. The creative midfield players are chosen by Pep to play in Zones 6 and 8, and, 13 and 15; the reasoning behind it being that they are the popular “half-spaces” that most opponents’ formations can’t cover. Alves was key in the attacking areas of the right flank. Pep Guardiola's unstoppable Barça (2008-2012) Relive the achievements one of the most phenomenal teams in sporting history. As always, Guardiola is thinking, scheming and looking to constantly adjust his team so that they don’t become predictable. In this article, my aim is to provide a detailed explanation how Barça played under Guardiola in their peak 2011 season; a season where they produced one of the most exquisite styles of play the football world ever witnessed in recent time. This is also an underrated point among coaches. The 4-1-4-1 for all its tactical nuances had some weaknesses. Barcelona. To have two needle players such as Messi and Iniesta very close to the penalty box shifts the entire defensive focus towards them resulting in spaces for runs in behind by the wingers. That’s the reason we see the pivot becoming a center-back, full-back becoming a winger, winger becoming a striker, and the striker becoming an attacking midfielder. In my attempt to emulate Pep Guardiola's philosophy I eventually settled on this asymmetric 4-4-2/4-4-1-1, with an aggressive AMC supporting the striker. Alves is the attacking full back whereas Abidal is the full back that acts more as a third center back but also attacks the wing when needed. Philippe COUTINHO. He also drops in as auxiliary centre-back for Jerome Boateng whenever necessary. I don't know if we'll win, but we'll persist. However, the 3-man backline does provide an extra target against teams whose forwards press hard, like Dortmund. Being able to play football in a such stylish way and win trophies. Six full seasons on, he stands out as one of the best managers in world football, the reputation of both Barcelona and his own personal brand greatly enhanced. To clarify more, I’ll be splitting the defensive side into two sections that can be found below: You read that right, with the ball. April 11, 2019 12:45PM. And they would wait for their opportunities when the opposing defence would get unhinged to strike the final blow. Below are the guidelines that should be followed in order to fully adopt the Positional Play model: Pep doesn’t believe in numbers and formations, they all go up in the wind when the game starts. With it’s natural triangles and diamonds, as well as it’s three-man midfield, it was perfect for the possession football Guardiola set out to create. What aids in this tactic is the positional superiority of the team during the attacking phase, compact and proximate to each other, that will help in performing the pressing scheme in a swift and effective way. As soon as the pass is made, the team attacks the passing lane and intercepts the ball. By the end of the 2008-09 season Barcelona had won a whole host of trophies. As explained, everything happens in relation to the ball and teammates. R foot. On the rare occasion, they have been trumped by strong teams with tactically astute managers and players built to tackle a Guardiola team. Often considered as the tactical tweak that revolutionized Barcelona’s playing style, shifting Messi to False Nine not only benefitted the team, but also brought huge success upon the Argentinian. His versatility in either tucking inside or staying wide made him a flexible player able to fit in all phases of the game. 4-3-3 was famously used by Pep that changes to 3-4-3 during transitions. age 31 170 cm. This is reflected when comparing the match stats for the two sides. The presence of multiple playmakers ensured that they could swap roles freely and the ones not on the ball could then run the channels effectively, complementarily opening up space for each other to operate in. Opposition bad control of the ball, bad touch, or bad pass. His need for a more mobile holding player with good passing range saw him make the shift and that meant Rafinha would take Lahm’s place at right-back. There’s also Robert Lewandowski at his disposal this year. When achieved, it provides the team with stable possession, improved scoring chances, and robust counter-pressing in case the ball is intercepted. When Leo drops into midfield, shall he be followed by a central defender? This formation like the 4-1-4-1 last year can also seamlessly morph into a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, a 3-5-2, or even a 3-2-2-3 (as against Manchester United in the Champions League last year) as the situation demands. This fluidity in changing positions is the key to unlocking defenses and scoring goals all while also taking into account the capacity of the opponent to hit the team on counters. Mourinho celebrates a year in charge of … ... the hallowed 4-3-3 that carried on through to Pep Guardiola … Pedro as the traditional winger who hugs the touchline and gets in behind the defense. The system also helps for the cover of Kroos with Alonso now playing Lahm’s role from last year allowing the captain to operate further up the pitch in the right side of a diamond with Alonso bottom, Alaba left and Götze at the tip. Barcelona mostly came up against teams playing with a 4-4-2 defensive formation, when it happened, Dani Alves would push up on the wing along with Xavi shifting towards him also, creating a 2vs1 situation with the opposition’s ball-side winger; the fullback wouldn’t be able to help because Pedro would be pinning him wide and back. As soon as Barça’s players lost the ball, they would swarm around the ball carrier and his potential options in what was named as the “6-second rule”. Lewandowski can play as a false 9, play wide by interchanging with the wide players and can even drop deep when needed. But, the uncompromising perfection by the gaffer for his style of play led him to immediate success. “I felt truly satisfied with the performance and I’m sure the players did too because they played a great game and enjoyed themselves. Each has its own by-product too. Guardiola didn’t change the formation of the starting team that he inherited, electing to keep a 4-3-3 going. goalkeeper): Messi stays between the two centerbacks, Villa and Pedro each with the opposition’s full back, Xavi and Iniesta  stepping up to protect passes into the half space, Busquets protects the area in front of the central defenders, Alves and Abidal with freedom to either press the opposition’s wingers  or push forward to overload the midfield, finally Pique and Mascherano/Puyol stay back to sweep any long passes behind them, with an exception being Mascherano having the authority to venture into midfield to block any passes to the midfield line. Josep Guardiola has described his playing principle like this; ... Barca didn’t do tiki-taka! And if there’s one word that would aptly sum up all of Guardiola’s coaching adventures so far, it would be ‘dynamism’. In 2008, Pep Guardiola took over as the club's manager, having previously coached Barcelona's B Team. KEY FEATURES AND OVERVIEW - High defensive line In his all-conquering first season, when Barcelona won the treble, Guardiola operated predominantly with a 4-3-3 formation. At times, both Xavi & Iniesta position themselves in their respective half-space where they are facing the gap between the full-back and center back. There must be a guideline which the players base their decisions on regarding when to press and when to hold back. The opposing team is closing down Valdes, Piqué, Mascherano, Alves, Abidal, and Busquets. Perhaps that’s why they went for him over Sami Khedira. However, the full-backs under this system were part of a mobile triumvirate that would move up and down with Lahm and would more often than not join up with the two central midfielders to make a four in the middle occupying the space vacated by the two wingers who’ve joined up in attack. There is no doubt Pep Guardiola changed the way we look at football. Barcelona mostly came up against teams playing with a 4-4-2 defensive formation, when it happened, Dani Alves would push up on the wing along with Xavi shifting towards him also, creating a 2vs1 situation with the opposition’s ball-side winger; the fullback wouldn’t be able to help because Pedro would be pinning him wide and back. PEDRI. Valdes will be utilized to escape the press as he is the spare man thus creating 6 vs 5 with the full-backs being the potential outlets after Valdes receives the pass from Busquets. And this system also kept up the bargain of tactical flexibility for Guardiola as it could morph into a 3-4-1-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, even a 2-4-4 at times if chasing a game. This formation was built to explore Bayern’s depth in midfield especially around the ability of Toni Kroos to distribute, move up and down the middle of the pitch and also play as a playmaker. To achieve this, players must be positioned in a defined space according to four reference points: the ball, their teammates, the space, and the opponents. After selling off high-profiled players such as Deco and Ronaldinho, Barcelona played scintillating football throughout the season, winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League For the vast majority of the time, his formations and their underlying ethos have served his teams brilliantly. In the 1980s Cruyff returned as coach, gave Barça its "dream team", instilled his ideas into every level of the club, and made his disciple Guardiola captain. Pique’s forays forward also meant a covering job for Busquets to drop back and aid Puyol and Abidal. JORDI ALBA. However, the way Guardiola’s team used to defend proved to be the foundation on which teams built their defensive strategy on. This is an overview of the career of a manager. Rafinha and Bernat playing generally means they will stay wide to stretch defences providing space for the holding midfielder(s) and centre-backs to join in the attacks; when Alaba and Lahm play, they can go either way, bombing forward in attack or cutting in allowing the likes of Götze, Robben, Ribery and Shaqiri to go wide. Lahm would play a box-to-box role, another feather in the career of this remarkable footballer. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Broma018 ----- DISCLAIMER: THIS VIDEO IS MADE FOR AND TARGETED AT ADULTS. When I mentioned that “numbers are of least importance” for Pep, I meant that there is no way the team remains structured in a 4-3-3 in all phases of the game. Loves Pep Guardiola. The team’s main focus was to overload the center in order to free the two wingers by getting them isolated against the full back marking either one. Tiki taka of Pep's Barca - formation and tactics. R foot. They opted for this rigid defensive setup as a base on which to work from. Iniesta would venture further forward as the advanced playmaker, either going central to support the forward trio or taking up the space out wide vacated by Henry or Messi. Guardiola has deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation more than any other this season, including his first match in charge against Sunderland. Piqué and Mascherano/Puyol are the ball-playing center backs who stay behind and split wide during the first phase of the game to gain better passing angles. Busquets, the midfield pivot who fits Barcelona’s system perfectly with his composure and brilliance in possession and when without it, his interceptions and reading of the game. Their ability in keeping hold of the ball in small spaces and escaping pressure helped the team in reaching the opposition’s goal with fewer markers blocking their way. The home side played a 2-2-6 formation, while the visitors went with an even more ambitious 1-2-7. Also a few players such as Mandzukic suffered as he was forced to make runs out wide and become a provider at times instead of a goal threat and that saw him lose his starting spot to a midfielder with Guardiola preferring to play Müller as the lone striker instead. The problem most teams have, … I really like playing the tiki-taka, possession-based and passing game in FUT. Avant-centre de formation, ... L'histoire tactique du Barça aurait pu s'arrêter là, et Guardiola aurait peut-être pu continuer à empiler les trophées cette saison. If yes, then that means the opposition is man-marking Leo; man-marking the player who dazzles anyone with his movement in and out of space; thus creating channels for others to move into and head towards goal. Due to only one striker up top and a lack of wingers, the role of the wingbacks becomes more important. Ligue des Champions : Le Barça de Guardiola (2008-12), meilleure équipe de l’histoire ? With Europe’s top leagues on hold due to the international break, it’s a good time to take a look at the evolution of Pep’s formations from Barcelona to Bayern Munich. However, despite this, one of his greatest exploits was his ability to coach the usage of wing-backs, especially with Dani Alves, who Barca acquired from Sevilla in 2008 at the start of Guardiola’s reign. Without their inputs, Bayern can't maintain their superiority when attacking. Defenders fell into a dilemma when playing against Barcelona with Messi as a false nine: Playing out from the back is the strategy followed by Barcelona in the first phase of the game, the build-up. But the City boss last week signed a contract extension at the Etihad until 2023. This early version though played slightly quicker, largely due to the presence of forwards Thierry Henry, who played wide left, Samuel Eto’o, who played through the middle, and Lionel Messi, who started wide right. belikerich. Being a product of La Masia himself, Guardiola fully understood the importance of the Academy and the possibilities it holds. A brilliant switch of play as Xavi found Villa isolated on the opposite wing, Villa beats Ramos with a dribble and squares it to the rushing Pedro who scores the second goal of the match. Guardiola, who also claimed that “Barca didn’t do tiki-taka! He finally has the dynamic possession-based striker he's always wanted. Throughout his time at Barca, there were two players outside of Messi that were of utmost importance to make the formation work and make it dynamic – Alves and Abidal. Those movements happen for a reason and not by coincidence as many think; they are carried out for the purpose of generating numerical superiority in areas proximate to the ball. Looking at their system, one might think that Barcelona concedes goals easily due to the risky attacking positioning that the team carries out on the pitch. Xavi played behind the front three as the deep-lying playmaker and Busquets played the roles of anchor-man and Xavi’s wingman, always moving with him, protecting him from opposing defenders and acting as a foil to receive and spray passes. That would result in Abidal falling back into the left side of a back three, with Pique and Puyol. However, Pedro wasn’t a regular in the team and Guardiola would go quite a few games with Iniesta/Villa/Messi as the front three. Whichever formation was played, it … Some of the pressing triggers that Barcelona used, depending on the opposition, were: The picture above shows that the team’s high pressure is passing-lane oriented. In the following sections, the application of this model to Barcelona’s style of play will be highlighted showing the team’s attacking and defending patterns. So utilizing the pace and power of Henry and Eto’o, while relying on Messi’s ability to dribble and draw defenders, was essential. Whenever the game was at the dying minutes and Barcelona would be 1-0 up, they would pass the ball along all their 11 players on the field; in the aim of circulating the ball and tiring out the opposition until the game finishes. R foot 16. Also, Götze has gotten a greater role (Iniesta’s role) and is the leading scorer overall for the club with 5 goals which tells a story in itself. Below is an illustration of how Barcelona presses the opposition in the middle of the field (i.e. Holding possession by moving the ball both laterally and forward with crisp, short passes was the principle that they religiously stuck to. He learns from his previous experiments, reinforces what worked while reanalysing the elements that didn’t (like Schweinsteiger not working well in his fluid formations and encouraging Lahm to play a box-to-box role this year) and tweaking them. The three superiority categories mentioned above are a main factor in being able to achieve a smooth ball circulation to kill the game. Subsequently, Guardiola converted Messi into a full-fledged striker from a winger, and Eto’o and Henry would depart. He would push forward when necessary, but his ability to sense danger and drop deep to operate as an additional third centre-back when required were irreplaceable. This was even explained very well by Thierry Henry in one of his Sky Sports interviews, wherein he explained Guardiola’s system. He was also the added cover for the backline, slotting in for one of the centre-backs, notably Gerard Pique, whenever he ventured forward. And in attack, the formation moulds into a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 using either one attacking midfielder (Götze/Kroos) behind two strikers (Mandzukic/Robben and Müller) or two attacking midfielders (Kroos/Müller, Kroos/Götze) and the lone striker (Robben/Müller/Mandzukic). Today I'm sharing my Football Manager 2020 interpretation of Barca's tiki-taka under Guardiola. One point worth noting is the diagonal positioning between each other. When Messi moved into the middle as a false nine, Alves continued to play high up the pitch, importantly stretching the play, especially since both Villa and Pedro too were more inclined to move in from out wide.

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