Barça faces a triply emotional game this afternoon (7:00 p.m.). On the one hand, because he will say goodbye to two references in the recent career of the Barça club (Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba). And on the other hand, because Barça will also temporarily say goodbye to what has been their home in recent decades: the Camp Nou. All this, against a Mallorca that has achieved a placid season. Here my 5 tactical keys for this meeting:
It will be the last game for Sergio Busquets in the Barça shirt. Without a doubt, a special day for him and for the club. And it is that the one who has been the best six in Barca history is leaving. A differential footballer who has shown that he can be a great defensive midfielder as well as a great organizing midfielder. In his Barça career since 2009, he has signed 72.7 passes per game and a reliability of 90.8%. Two brutal registers that dimension his figure. History of Barça and of this sport.
As historical is also another player who will say goodbye at home this afternoon, Jordi Alba. A winger who was formed as a winger and who has ended up being the defender with the most assists in the last decade in Europe. Both will leave Barça at the best moment. Before the maximum demand of the club consumes them. This afternoon they deserve to be fired as they have earned with their great career. With Busquets a footballer who will go down in history leaves.
In recent games, the Barça team has conceded too many goals (six since the 0-2 loss against Espanyol) and too easily. Partly due to lack of tension but, above all, because he has stopped doing little defensive things that he did before. The swings, the defensive help between teammates, the activation on the first pressure, the distances... a whole series of small concepts that are basic for the team to be consistent and so that they can spend less time defending. If Barça wants to return to a good version, it will be essential to recover these concepts.
Mallorca is an eminently reactive team. Play in a marked 5-3-2 and without taking risks with the ball. The fact of having Muriqui on top allows them to be practical. So the sum of the two proposals will lead to many stretches of positional attack for Barça in the opposite field. When this happens, the Catalans will have to be patient with the ball rolling several times before going deeper. Of course, they must do it at the maximum possible speed.
Against teams well protected behind, and Mallorca is, recoveries near the opposing goal are often one of the best ways to open the can. It is important that the Catalans have the level of activation for the change of chip as high as they have had all season and that, from there, they can take dangerous actions.
The corpulent forward is the most influential footballer in the game of the Balearic team. because his power in the area makes his teammates look for him at the slightest option. With 14 goals, he is the top scorer for Javier Aguirre's team and a footballer of much higher level than what has been said up to now. With the loss of Kang-In Lee for today, his weight in the Balearic attacking game will take on even more importance.
Also highlight the season of Pablo Maffeo. Playing as a pure right-handed winger, the former Girona player has been one of Mallorca's most outstanding players this season. A position specialist who performs much better if he can play a role like the one he has had this season. Two goals and four assists is his baggage in the attacking plane.
