Xavi's 3-4-3 at Barça only worked at times

The victory of the FC Barcelona against the Villarreal was one of the most suffered of the season, by not saying the one who more. The team left the feeling until the goal of Memphis Depay that the 'yellow submarine' could sign the traced back quietly because the picture culé did not give for more. It was the cansacio, the very high pressure of the ones of Unai Emery or the flower of Xavi Hernández, but the Barça achieved a triumph that largely of the party did not deserve. This speaks that the players are able of 'push' to the end, but were playing with fire... And that is not the 'identity' that so much looks for .

And it is that as it has repeated Xavi in a few occasions, does not be necessary to be resultadistas. The Barça won, yes, but the game was far to fulfil the expectations and it is necessary to analyse how the team is one when the rival no presiona the sufficient (as it happened in front of Espanyol and Benfica), and another totally different cuando the contrary proposes and achieves to read the approach of the culés, that was what happened in The Ceramics. Unai Emery 'won' the game against Xavi, but the egarense remained with result and, at the end of the day, this is what costs in the football.

One of the big novelties of the of Terrassa for the clash was to give him continuity to the system of 3-4-3, that had worked in the crash in front of the Benfica (further of the tie), but that in Villarreal served of to whiles. And that is a big probeme. The Barça went out with his more reliable alignment and 'logical', given the circumstances and low, with the novelties of Eric García, that went back to the titularity after his absence in Champions League, and Ez Abde like extreme. Xavi looked for to keep his initial plan of presionar high, be direct and vertical, and drown to the rival after loss. Something that worked by less than half hour.

Probably the merit is of a Villarreal that accustoms to dominate all his parties (happened against the Athletic of Madrid, Real Madrid or Manchester United), but remains always cut in the result. The Barça became a very vulnerable team and to the that attained to hurt him with very little and very fast. The 'groguets' needed to do very few passes to approach to the area of Ter Stegen and, fortunately for the culés, the luck in the last metres was not of his side. The ones of Xavi 'saved', but can not be the new normality.

The defence, as always, went the most distinguished sector. Eric García, thrown more to the right band, suffered all the party and was about to to wrap it after failing a pass backwards that Danjuma hunted, but blocked it Hammered practically with the hand. The history had been distinct if pitaba the penal, but the case is that the central Catalan was 'surpassed' all the party and lived one of the most uncomfortable nights like player of the Barça. Moi Gómez did him suffer until saying 'suffice' and Xavi has to take note of the his very grey party. Andsa position does not favour him at all, especially if the extreme does not help it the sufficient.

However, if there is something that stand out is the work of Ronald Araújo, that once again was the 'rock' of the Barça and added a few times to the attack, as it already accustoms. If in previous parties the names more resaltantes were the ones of Nico González or Gavi, in The Ceramics was the one of the charrúa. Attentive to cut and fix the failures of his two mates. It was attentive at all times to Danjuma and avoided a lot of approaches. It has returned in his best level and has to be, without place to doubts, a fixed in the alignment of the technician egarense.

Still it remains route and a lot for improving

The intense pressure and constant of the Villarreal propició that the Barça stepped backwards and devoted to 'hold'. The possession of the balloon was for the ones of Emery and the centre of the field culé, far of the big parties in previous occasions, was much more turn# off. Nico and Gavi were surpassed in the first part, whereas Busquets and Of Jong were not hit. The canteranos gave the face and at the end showed as always, correct and proactivos, but does not be necessary to neglect the detail of how suffers the team in front of the pressure, the contragolpes and the rival verticality.

It will be necessary to see if Xavi continues betting by the 3-4-3, because for the moment it is a drawing that works of to whiles. It is true that the trainer is conditioned by the drops and that, for example, has not wanted to force to Sergiño Dest because it is not to the one hundred by one hundred, or that Sergi Roberto (to the one who sees like an important player) is still in the infirmary, by not explaining the 'drama' with the drops in the forward... But at the end of the day, there is a lot of work and the Barça, that wants to recover his identity and beautiful game, can not allow performances of this type, although it is true that the work has been a lot for so little time.