Barcelona’s visit to the Vicente Calderon to play Atletico Madrid on Sunday signifies a critical moment this La Liga season.
With both sides off the pace so far in the title race, defeat will be damaging. Whatever the result, Real Madrid will look on with some cheer: the defeat to Valencia on Wednesday cut its lead to a point, with a game in hand, and so the guarantee that at least one rival for the La Liga crown will drop points on Sunday is heartening.
Barcelona arrives in Madrid on Sunday in the midst of a crisis. Last week’s thrashing at PSG’s hands in the Champions League has soured the mood.
Critics point to a change in philosophy and style as the central problem. With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar forming world football’s most frightening trident, Luis Enrique’s Barcelona bears only passing resemblance to the unit Pep Guardiola put together. MSN has scored nearly 70% of the side’s goals this season – an incredible return, but also an obvious option for opponents to stop.
PSG, for instance, closed down Messi and cut off Suarez’s supply. Messi did not once touch the ball in the opposition penalty box. Atletico and Diego Simeone have managed to reduce Messi’s influence themselves in the past.
It has been Barcelona’s issue for some time now – the balance between control and directness. Enrique’s side does not appear to have the same rigour of positional play, so vital in the build-up phase. He has trialled 15 different midfield combinations in the league this season, but he is yet to find what he wants.
The waning influence of Sergio Busquets appears a symptom of the problem. A subtle mastermind, world football’s best one-touch passer at his best, Busquets pulled the strings in the great Barcelona sides that dominated Spain and Europe. But with the shift in style under Enrique, he has not as much control of the tempo as he prefers.
His passing numbers have declined over the seasons, from 93.3 passes per 90 minutes in 2012-13 to 72.7 this season.
Enrique often wants the ball to be sent quickly to his front three, bypassing the midfield. This leaves Busquets exposed at his weakest – he is a master of anticipation and teasing sides apart, not a brainless athlete who tracks back constantly to make up for mistakes.
Atletico has had problems of its own this season, not least the injuries to goalkeeper Jan Oblak and defenders Juanfran and Diego Godin. The side moreover has had Champions League exertions mid-week: it has had less preparation and recovery time than Barcelona. But Simeone’s men are seldom found wanting when it comes to intensity in big games; he’s not a manager who brooks excuses.
Atleti will attempt to funnel the ball into wide regions, where the touchline boundary compresses space and becomes another defender. Then, with co-ordinated pressing, the side will hustle Barcelona into giving the ball up. Any side that has Kevin Gameiro, who is in red-hot scoring form, and Antoine Griezmann carries a considerable goal threat – Atletico might not need to create too many chances.
History suggests the contest will be one of thin margins: the sides have met seven times in the last two seasons, and although Barcelona has won five to Atleti’s one, every game has been tight. Sunday’s match should be no different.
