The differences between a Barça with forwards and another one with midfielders

The FC Barcelona returned to the Camp Nou and went back to aim a victory that allows him keep in the fight by LaLiga, expecting a trip of the Real Madrid after falling defeated in the Classical of Santiago Bernabéu. The Catalans are complicated in an irregular path since it started the season, but do not pretend to leave carry and remain to the trail of an opponent that neither goes through his best moment.

After relieving to Ernesto Valverde in January, Quique Setién follows looking for the best version of his team, but is difficult to hit with a worn staff and descompensada. In spite of that it is true that the extremeño was accusing the effort of the last years, in little time has remained clear that the bad dynamics was not only blames of the trainer, but of a cumulus of circumstances that have struck to the Barcelona.

Until it reach a market of signings that has to be reparador, the technician goes on doing proofs with several systems, that has gone exchanging in function of the needs of his, in some occasions home and was, and in others even inside a same party. These are the differences between the two bets of the Cantabrian: A marked group by the forwards and another reinforced with midfield players.

The two versions of the Barça of Setién

Barça with forwards

After abandoning a 3-5-2 that is in his libreto but that does not seem to have fit in the City Condal, Setién has held in several appointments to the 4-3-3 classical of the Barça. This, as already sucedió with his predecessor, does not finish to convince him, because although the culés win something of offensive character, also costs them more keep the equilbrio and brake the charged of his opponents, that do more damage to the counterattack and even, when there are commitments to domicile, can cancel the game of possession to base of pressure and dominate to the Barcelonan.

Like the Txingurri, the one of Santander is used to to prefer this strategy in the duels of house, and few times in front of demanding rivals. This is due to the fact that in these crashes, both have bet more for keeping the forms and attack with less frequency and more efficiency, to avoid unpleasant surprises. Also it has to see the fact that the leading was especially mermada, with some inopportune sales in winter and with stars like Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé lesionadas, what has left solos to Leo Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati beside the recently arrived Martin Braithwaite.

Barça with midfield players

To armour to the Barça, Setién has thrown of an option that used usually Valverde, a 4-3-3 mixed with a 4-4-2. This training bases in reinforcing the medullary with a midfield player more, that is used to to be Arturo Vidal by his versatility and deployment. In attack, the Chilean supports to Leo Messi and Antoine Griezmann in the half tip or leaving fall by any of the two bands, and in defence, the repliegue forms two lines of four leaving more descolgados to the attackers.

With this alignment wins some solidity, but also loses depth, hit and offensive power. Jams like the ones of Saint Paolo or the Bernabéu confirm it, although the key is not forgiving in the few opportunities that generate . Besides, in the discontinuous line that follow the azugrana in what it goes of course, his few -or many, according to the day- distractions pay , and in occasions have generated problems because with this plan is difficult to recover the disadvantage in the marker.