After debuting with another win in the Champions League, Barça returns to the League with its third consecutive home game. Opposite, a Celta that this season has the experienced Rafa Benítez on the bench. Here are my five tactical keys for this match:
Xavi himself has admitted that Barça is in one of the best moments since he has been coach. The last two games have involved two victories but, above all, they have left very good feelings in attacking football. It should be said that this afternoon's rival (Celta) will build a more unfavorable tactical scenario than the previous ones (Betis and Antwerp). Benítez's men, surely in a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 structure) will compress the interior space with the intention of making Barça uncomfortable. And here appears the main challenge for the Blaugranas for today: that of maintaining the level of play generation shown in these two previous games. Effectiveness depends on success, the game depends on the idea. Do not stop.
Celta will start with three central defenders (probably Unai Nuñez, Starfeld and Aidoo). He already did it against Madrid and has done it in most of the matches in this League. Some center backs who have a lot of difficulty in orienting themselves well and turning around in the opponent's vertical passes. Osasuna, Madrid and Almería created chances for him in this way. It will be good for Barça to put it into practice. But for this, there must be predisposition and finesse in the passers as well as diagonal unmarking of both Lewandowski and the wingers who take to the pitch today.
Continuing with the previous point and, due to the type of game that the Vigo team will play, there will be one offensive action more important than the rest: the appearances from behind the second line. Benítez's team takes few shots (with an average of 11 shots per game, they are the fifth team that receives the fewest shots in the championship) but, continuing with what was mentioned in the previous point, Celta is very vulnerable when it has to stop rushing tackles. Because it is difficult for defenders to position themselves well and because they react late to this type of actions.
Ronald Araujo is the big news on the list and may have minutes. But his situation has changed a lot compared to before he was injured. The arrival of a right back like João Cancelo, together with the great performance of the Koundé-Christensen couple, means that the Uruguayan continues to be a defender of enormous value but no longer so essential. Therefore, it will be very significant in what position Xavi takes him and what role he gives him.
When we talk about Celta it is inevitable to talk about Iago Aspas. And there is no doubt that we will have to be careful with his game between the lines. It is something typical and common in confrontations against the Celtiñas but two important names must be highlighted. The first, that of Fran Beltrán, one of the best midfielders in the championship. A footballer with an innate ability to start plays, to organize the game but who is also sacrificed without the ball. With an average of 44 passes per game, he is by far the midfielder who participates the most in Celta's collective game. He has 83.3% passing reliability and everything he does is done with discretion. A personal weakness. And another to highlight is Jonathan Bamba's French, a piece that is destined to be basic for Benítez. In fact, he has played all 450 minutes that have been played in the League. He is fast and has a very good dribble. In fact, he is the fifth best dribbler in the League. As far as his scoring ability is concerned, he has not yet debuted but he has generated very dangerous options and they have annulled him a bit. Pay attention to his play with spaces ahead.
