Second place at stake this Saturday in Montilivi in what will, for sure, be a great game. And, due to the game proposal of both teams, the spectacle is guaranteed. In the first round match they accumulated a total of 992 passes and 46 shots. Here are the visitors' tactical keys for this great match.
The first aspect that Barça can benefit from is high pressure. Because the effectiveness of the pressure is directly related to the rival's proposal. And Girona always tries to come from behind. In fact, it is his great hallmark and a weapon that he uses to attack more cleanly. It is no coincidence that Míchel's men are, with a total of 485 deliveries, the fourth most associated team in the championship. And that is a factor that Barça can take advantage of if they press high in an intense and coordinated way. If you cannot recover the ball, you will have to retreat quickly. But, if he achieves it, it will be a scoring opportunity. Girona has conceded several goals from taking risks from behind. Take the risk of it.
Girona's deployment mechanism with Miguel Gutiérrez coming in as a midfielder, or even as a forward, makes the quick transitions on this side a face-to-face between the attacking attacker who is running and Daley Blind. If we also take into account that, in this sector, the one who will go deeper will be Lamine Yamal, the attack will be favorable for Barça. Much more so than on the left where the Catalans will not have a pure open winger and where Eric Garcia will wait to cut.
Another facet in which Barça can create danger is with lateral center maneuvers, whether parallel or diagonal. Girona has certain difficulties defending them. Something that has been proven in several games during the season. Of course, Gazzaniga's departure will always have to be overcome. And if Míchel's team have some imbalances in the defense of these dynamic actions, the same thing happens in static set pieces. Something that contrasts with Barça's good performance in strategy in recent weeks. The Blaugrana have scored four goals in the last three games and, with a total of eleven in the championship, they are already the third best team in the League in this regard. So pay attention to the set piece because it can have an impact from the visiting perspective.
