Dortmund vs Barcelona Tactical Analysis – What Went Wrong?

Welcome back to TalkBarca. Today we will go through Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona Tactical Analysis. This article is about all the in-depth analysis and tactical mistakes which we left out in the match review. We also have some individual performances to discuss. Let’s get started with our Tactical Analysis!

Dortmund vs Barcelona Tactical Analysis:

Usually, you lose points when your tactics fail and that was the case with Barcelona. FC Barcelona lacked a solid plan and the coach did not set the tactics right. So, let’s start Dortmund vs Barcelona Tactical Analysis and determine exactly what went wrong during the game.

TER STEGEN’s Performance And Controversial Penalty Save:

Ter Stegen played beautifully on the night. He had authority and showed seniority on the pitch. He was the best player on the pitch and also grabbed Man of the match award for his fantastic performance. MATS, single-handedly, saved a point for FC Barcelona. He made 4 very crucial, point-blank saves.

Furthermore, he also saved a penalty from Marco Reus. However, it turned out to be a very controversial penalty as Ter Stegen was out of the line before Reus kicked the ball. According to UEFA rules, one foot of the goalkeeper must be on the line when facing a penalty kick. So, as per regulations, that penalty should have been retaken.

I know some fans would try to justify this penalty save with what we saw in Liverpool vs Chelsea game. However, I must say, “Two wrongs do not make one right.” Both of these were wrong decisions. Instead of justifying such things on false grounds, we have to accept what reality is. If you are still not convinced, just imagine yourself in shoes of Dortmund Fans. I hope you get my point.

Also, to the haters, I would like to say that it wasn’t Barcelona’s fault. The referees are to blame for this. It’s their job to make the right decisions at the right time. Also, another point to note is that none of the Dortmund players objected anything regarding the penalty save.

UEFA has also declared that VAR is not going to be used to judge the position of Goalkeepers while facing a penalty. Therefore, it was not Barcelona’s fault that Ter Stegen’s position wasn’t checked. It was instead the assistant referee’s fault.

Ansu Fati Critics:

Ansu Fati, the 16 years old made his Champions League debut against Dortmund. His performance playing away wasn’t as good as we expected. He lost possession a couple of times in tight spaces. He was a bit more absent in the game as compared to his previous performances.

However, it was not like as is he was deliberately hiding from the ball. He was making efforts, and he also tried to involve himself as much as possible. The thing is that Ansu is just 16 years of age. The seniority and maturity of handling big games will come into him. All he needs is time to develop. It is best for us to let him progress at his own pace and not rush things for him. The talent is obviously there in him. The fans and the board has to make sure that we polish his talent and not over pressurize him to the extent that he loses all his focus.

Starting Position Of Griezmann And Fati:

Now, let’s discuss the flawed tactics of Valverde. According to me, the starting positions of both wingers were not suitable. Griezmann, who is a left-footed player, started on the Left-Wing. Meanwhile, Ansu Fati, who is a right-footed player, started on the Right-Wing. This is un-natural for both players. Even the fans could see that Fati on the right-wing would not be as effective as he could be. The question is, “Why the manager couldn’t see that?”

Fati likes to cut in and create a finishing opportunity. Therefore, starting them at unfavorable ends was not the right choice. We can clearly see the proof of this flawed tactics in the game. Both Griezman and Fati swapped positions in 30th minute, and we witnessed an instant boost in our attack. This shows how much it means for players to play with their dominant foot even if they are good with both feet.

Luis Suarez Missing The Shooting Boot In Champions League Away Fixtures:

Luis Suarez continues with his goal drought in Champions League away fixtures. Dortmund vs Barcelona was his 19th consecutive CL game without a goal. His pass accuracy in this game was also 70% which is very less for a player of his quality.

I think it is time for Suarez not to push to play for the entire 90 minutes. He is sluggish now and cannot create an impact from the start. Instead, Griezmann can start, and Suarez can come later on. We saw against Valencia how good was Suarez against tired legs in the last minutes of the game. This is where he can be lethal now. Suarez can come as a super-sub and put his impact on the game in the dying moments, but, certainly, he is no longer a starter.

GRIEZMANN – SUAREZ DUO NOT WORKING:

Griezmann and Luis Suarez started in Dortmund vs Barcelona. However, I must say that both of them cannot start together. The reason is that Griezmann under Suarez plays very silently. He was playing too wide on the wing, and this resulted in his very less involvement in the attack. We bought Griezmann for 120 million to score goals, not just play on the wing and play uncertain crosses.

Griezmann is most effective in central areas. He likes to drop deep in the central areas and create chances for his teammates. Furthermore, he is also leather in front of goal. So, the best possible position for Griezmann is the Striking position or Center Forward in a False Nine. 

Griezmann – Suarez – Messi Trio – GSM

Some fans are excited about the Griezmann, Suarez, and Messi Trio in our attack. This attack looks deadly on paper. However, if we analyze these front 3 in tactical terms, we can see this attack failing miserably. Why is that? It’s because, both Messi and Griezmann like to play centrally and Suarez is already in the attacking role. If we play like this, all our forwards would be operating in the same area, and it would leave a massive gap on the wide sides.

What happens next is that the opposing full-backs get all the room to go forward and take part in the final third. Also, we would not have much support from over full-backs as they will have to stay in their half to defend against the opposition. To overcome this issue, at least one of the wingers would have to remain wide. This means, either Messi or Griezmann would have to sacrifice and stay wide, which would hinder their capabilities. I am sure this isn’t what we want to see.

So, the best possible thing to do is to start Griezmann in the center and Messi on the Right side. Suarez simply does not have to be a starter this season. So, what about the Left Wing? Dembele should be the ultimate starter on the left side as long as he stays fit. If he is out injured, we can still play Carlos Perez or Ansu Fati on the left. For me, we need to have at least one natural winger on our team.

Possible Solution For Griezmann – Suarez Due.

If worst comes to worst, and we don’t have a real option on our wings, I still would not start Griezmann on the left. In such a scenario, Valverde would have to come with something else. He would need to change the formation to accommodate Griezmann and Suarez. He can play 4-4-2 where both Griezmann and Suarez would be playing as strikers.

This isn’t the best approach as we would be playing a different kind of football. It would be against our philosophy, but I think it would still get the job done. For me, it’s only a possible solution in desperate times. Furthermore, I think it’s OK to go against our philosophy in desperate times if it guarantees our desired results.

Incorrect Bench and Substitution Options:

Arthur Melo, De Jong, and Sergio Busquests started in our midfield. Furthermore, Valverde had 3 more midfielder options on the bench. These choices comprised of Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic, and Sergi Roberto. This is completely wrong. I completely understand the involvement of Roberto as he is a utility player and he can play almost everywhere on the pitch.

However, I still don’t understand why do we need two more box-to-box midfielders on the bench? One of these two midfielders should not have been on the bench. We have to set our priorities. We have to choose between Rakitic and Vidal based on their current form and the need for the game. Also, Todibo was on the bench who can also comfortably play in the midfield, in fact, Todibo started his career as a defensive midfielder.

Junior Firpo was not available on the bench despite being match fit. Jordi Alba’s injury caused massive changes in our lineup and disturbed many positions on the field. This is something Valverde should have kept in mind when deciding the lineup. Similar mistakes in future can lead to massive losses.

Personally, I think, including Junior Firpo in the squad for every game is very important. It’s because Firpo can also play as a central defender and left midfielder. So, he can fill in a lot of positions if needed. Both Sergio Roberto and Junior Firpo should be on the bench if they are not starting the game. Most importantly, we bought Firpo precisely for these situations. The sole purpose of his move to Barcelona was to provide cover for Jordi Alba.

Pique – Lenglet Due At The Heart Of The Defense:

The last thing I want to point out in this tactical analysis is the coordination problems between Lenglet and Pique. Both Center Backs had good games individually. However, when it comes to collective performance, there were a few errors. During counter-attacks, both Lenglet and Pique move out instead of closing down the attack from the center. This leaves a big space in between them.

Even in the game against Dortmund, Marco Reus was able to get past them using the same available space 2-3 times. This can be very dangerous for us in the future. Any striker with pace and good physicality can out muscle both defenders if provided with such space. Therefore, both of them must coordinate well and talk to each other during matches if any one of them is going out of position.

Verdict:

So, that was all for Dortmund vs Barcelona Tactical Analysis. On paper, a draw at Signal Iduna Park Stadium in Dortmund is as good as a win. However, as a fan, deep down in my heart, I still feel sad about this draw. Barcelona could have pulled out a win if it wasn’t for our poor tactics. However, it’s the first game of the Champions League, and we should consider this as a wake-up call. I expect good things to come for us in the future. What are your thoughts? Let us know in comments down below. Until next time, Visca El Barca!