In a thrilling night of football, Barcelona and Villarreal played out a 1-1 draw in a result that, as things stand, all but end Barça’s title challenge.
This was a masterclass of a match. A magnificent main event for the first weekend of 2017. Most matches that are hyped to the gods, branded as unmissable and even given hashtags, those matches rarely ever deliver. Tension and caution take over and the players, despite their excellence, fail to show the best of themselves.
Not this match, though. Barcelona and Villarreal went blow-for-blow from the first minute to the last. And not just in a frenetic lower league kind of way, this was high-class football. Excellent attacking was snuffed out by excellent defending. Everyone was assured on the ball and when passes went astray it was because the players were putting so much effort into counter- pressing that sometimes they just misfired when they actually had the ball.
Villarreal’s gameplan was simple but effective, as it so often is. Two banks of four, two mobile forwards, counter-attack with gusto whenever the chance presents itself. And given Barcelona played their standard 4-3-3 (which, in possession, is basically 2-1-4-3) those chances presented themselves repeatedly.
The Blaugrana repeatedly pushed their defensive line high and were, quite astonishingly, comfortable leaving themselves 2v2 at the back. For the most part this worked, as Piqué and especially Mascherano are incredibly comfortable at defending 1v1’s, and Lucas Digne and Sergio Busquets were diligent in getting back to help out. But it was an incredible risk.
In the end, it cost Barcelona. They repelled countless Villarreal counterattacks in the first half, but four minutes into the second period the Yellow Submarine broke. Pato carried the ball about 30 yards into Barcelona’s half and while Piqué had him in his focus, Mascherano joined him. As they were just 2v2, when Mascherano was staring at Pato, Nicola Sansone slipped in like a marauder in the night. Pato fed him, and the Italian slotted
it into the far corner.
It was a masterpiece of a counter-attack. Really special. But it wasn’t something that couldn’t be avoided. Most coaches when confronted with a front two like Villarreal’s would counter by playing three at the back. With Samuel Umtiti sat on the bench, Barça had the personnel to do this, yet they didn’t until 71 minutes into the game, and even then it wasn’t with Umtiti.
With three at the back, Barcelona would have had an easier time handling Villarreal’s counterattacks, and the Yellow Submarine absolutely would not have scored the goal they did.
But anyway, Barça didn’t let conceding a goal deter them. In classic Blaugrana fashion they upped the tempo and got dancing. This was James Brown on Soul Train in 1974 levels of invention and artistry, both from Barcelona in attack and Villarreal in defence.
The second half was essentially attack vs. defence, but it was a thrilling thing to watch Barcelona try and unlock the second best defence in Europe’s top five leagues (only Bayern have conceded fewer goals than the Yellow Submarine).
Neymar, Messi and Iniesta started the steppin’. Neymar began shaking his hips and dancing away from Villarreal defenders. Mario Gaspar has been one of Europe’s best right-backs for the last year but he was all at sea trying to contain the Brazilian, who completed 4/5 take-ons and created 4 chances (more than anyone bar Messi).
But if there was one area where Neymar, and the game as a whole, was disappointing then that was in the finishing. Barcelona had 20 shots, yet they only scored once. In the 90th minute. From a storming Messi free-kick. The one moment of genius finishing all night long.
The Argentine also hit the post on 73 minutes, just two minutes after the referee turned down a penalty claim for the Blaugrana when Bruno Soriano literally dove across the floor and stuck a hand out to save a Messi shot and send it over the bar. Gordon Banks would have been proud!
In many ways, Barcelona were hideously unlucky (as they have been all season). But in many more, they shot themselves in the foot (as they have done all season). André Gomes contributed nothing in attack and yet he played 70 minutes. Ivan Rakitic was left out of the squad for “technical reasons.” The aforementioned tactical blunder of sticking with two at the back.
And then the finishing. Seriously, this was shocking stuff. It’s easy to look at the result and say that Barcelona were simply not good enough. Equally it’s easy to look at the performance and say that, hey, Barcelona are an incredible footballing side if only they could actually shoot.
Going forward this all but ends their Title challenge. Real Madrid, a side that haven’t lost in 39 games mind you, are 5 points ahead with a game in- hand. Should they win that, they’ll be 8 points ahead of Barcelona.
Even if you assume Barcelona win at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 23rd, they would still have to win all their remaining games and need Real Madrid to lose two other matches. It’s a big ask, a huge ask, and in all honesty it’s their own fault. Absurdly profligate performances at home to Alavés, Malagá and, yes, Real Madrid, have cost them. Instead of shooting accurately on goal and finding the back of the net this brilliant Blaugrana side has ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
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