Being able to get within range of Madrid made Sánchez Pizjuán have a final atmosphere despite the rain. For Barça the stimulus was to get within reach of reaching the Champions place. Lopetegui entered with Rafa Mir, what was written in the previous MD, and Xavi once again showed that he believes in Frankie de Jong. And as soon as the Cerro Grande duel started, Barça got into the local field and managed to impose the style of the P and the J: Pressure and Play in the absence of individual inspiration from Abde, Dembélé or a shot from Jutglá. Busquets / Gavi sent and De Jong wanted to surprise by the internal corridor.
Sevilla protecting Bono and the Catalans trying shots from outside the area (Ferran Jutglà and Dembélé) until they ended up in a corner. Diego Carlos / Delaney blocks Rafa Mir and the shortest, Papu Gómez beats Abde and makes it 1-0. Unfair but correct strategy. Araújo arranged it before the break with an impeccable flight and header. Busquets was the one who provided the block. Very psychological tie.
2. SEVILLE ANSWERS TACTICALLY
He had ambitions to win the local team and Lopetegui commanded to counteract by returning the high pressure to Xavi. It lasted almost a quarter but without incident in the Blaugrana area. Barça has a wonderful youth but it lacks ‘game reading’. Knowing how to be incisive and take advantage of THE MOMENTS is essential to punish rivals who, by not conceding a goal, feed themselves.
Maintaining the dominant style was decisive because, thus, Ocampos was minimized and Sevilla’s stinging football was canceled. In this second act there were a couple of scares for Ter Stegen and Bono (Delaney and Abde) but clear occasions, none. While the technicians were thinking about their respective bench, the unexpected happened …
3. THE THOUSAND INTERRUPTIONS WHEN KOUNDÉ WAS EXPELLED
The expulsion of Koundé left a positive panorama for the Barcelona. Minute 64 and back to the game that Xavi’s men built. But a problem arose: the Fernando, Bono, Jordán, Diego Carlos or Lucas Ocampos put the game in the difficult and desperate sea, for FC Barcelona, of interruptions. Despite that, the changes did not provide the difference, but they did provide 2 very clear scoring chances for Gavi (header off!) And a left-footed shot by Ousmane Dembélé repelled only by the post. In any of those auctions is the longed-for 1-2.
Sevilla endured with changes and the 1-4-4-1 put around the large area while Barça could not take the prize pool despite the great desire of Nico (Luuk de Jong or to pressure Bono to serve quickly) and the Dembélé’s belated agitation. But playing like this and improving the squad in January, Xavi will be able to raise the level and also defend better by playing Alves as a winger and Araujo as a central defender. Happy Holidays!