Predictably, after Barcelona’s 7-0 2013 Champions League semifinal defeat to Bayern Munich, when they were physically overpowered by a compact and organized 4-4-2 press, many of their future opponents adopted Bayern’s tactics in an attempt to nullify the attacking strengths and exploit the defensive frailties of the Catalan giants. It is then no surprise that Barcelona would transition to a back-3 to counteract the advantages their opposition obtained from mimicking the formation that dominated them. Playing a back-3 provides Barcelona an extra defender and free player to bring the ball out … [Read more...]
More stars set to leave La Liga?
The likes of Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Ander Herrara all made big-money moves from Spain to England in the summer but are any more La Liga stars heading to the Premier League in January? … [Read more...]
How Barcelona built Real Madrid
To understand the rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid you must travel back to the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship of Francesco Franco that followed the war. In July of 1936 Franco led a coup against The Second Spanish Republic that had been in power since 1931. During the following Spanish Civil War, Catalonia became the center of Socialist thought and Barcelona became the capitol of the Spanish Republican (People’s) Army that opposed Franco’s Spanish Nationalist Army. … [Read more...]