Champions League Chasers: Who’s Gonna Beat Barcelona?
People never really learn and somehow they still gave Arsenal a chance against Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16. In hindsight we should have all known it’d turn out exactly how it did, a valiant effort for 70 minutes before the weariness sets in and the mistakes arrive. 2-0 to Barcelona, which gives the Gunners just enough room to make another valiant effort in Catalonia, maybe even a narrow win, whilst still exiting the tournament in the first knockout stage.
But here’s the thing… Arsenal really did have a chance. Several of them in fact, and had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud been better at finishing them then this game could have been all sorts of different.
Because Arsenal’s game plan was pretty on point. At times when Messi, Suarez and Neymar are running riot, when Iniesta, Rakitic and Busquets seem never to miss a pass, Barcelona still look like the infallible titan they’ve been for almost decade – even, profanely, better. Having the best player in the world will help do that for you (sorry Ronaldo, still love ya buddy) but Barca are simply stacked all around the field.
Except maybe in defence. And there are questions over the defensive work of their front three, which doesn’t usually matter with the pressing of their midfield and the brilliant way they close off space, but that space is always there somewhere. Arsenal didn’t exactly expose them, though they caused a few headaches. Their biggest fault was that they didn’t finish their chances, and while none were clear sitters, against the best teams you have to take the halfies if you’re gonna get anything.
“You have to score at one stage against Barcelona to keep the pressure up on them. They had a lot of possession but we defended well and we had to score at one point – that was the key to why we lost in the end.” – Per Mertesacker
Still, there is maybe a blueprint there that others can follow. The Gunners pressed well without the ball, knowing not to overdo it and expose their defence (which is criminally short on pace in the middle, looking at you Per – though the exact opposite on the flanks thanks to lightning heeled Hector). Their midfield was considerably higher up the pitch than usual without possession which is a handy way to disrupt a team like Barca. It takes enormous discipline, composure and fitness. For about 70 minutes it was great and then Mathieu Flamini came on.
To be fair, they were already 1-0 down when The Flam was introduced but playing 8 minutes and conceding a near-fatal penalty ain’t exactly great. Arsenal were looking increasingly exhausted though. Francis Coquelin was fair buggered after a powerful effort of battling away in the middle. And it really did work. They were rarely the better team but they had the best chances. Hell, in that first half Barcelona didn’t have a single shot on target. You always know they can score from nothing but that was definitely a first half performance that Arsene Wenger would’ve filed under ‘so far so good’.
Even when Barcelona did score, it was a matter of Arsenal mistakes that cost them. They lost the ball in possession in the Barca half but at the base of their attack, meaning that once Neymar was able to hit Suarez down the line, his pace was enough to get in behind the Arsenal cover and they were all the way on the break. Just way too much speed and then Lionel Messi’s first touch sent Petr Cech sliding, so goddamn silky, and the finish was automatic from there. Mertesacker caught out of place, which meant Koscielny was dragged wide and they ended up with two fullbacks chasing down the middle. Barcelona are murder in these situations, you can’t give them the chance to run at you like that.
And the second goal was even stupider. An awful attempted clearance from Mertesacker and Flamini has concrete boots anyway. Penalty, goal, 2-0. The second leg is pretty much a formality now. You never really know but, like, let’s be honest.
So who is gonna beat Barcelona? Who’s gonna stop them from storming to another Champions League title? There are a few candidates, don’t you worry.
There are two main ways to beat Barca, as the belief goes. The first is to park the bus. Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid enjoyed this way (enjoyed is relative), as have teams like Atletico Madrid (who knocked them out in the 2013-14 quarters) and also, obviously, Chelsea in 2011-12. While CFC did score a couple away goals in that one, Ramires’ effort came in first half stoppage time and Torres’ one in second half stoppage time with Barca all out on attack. Incredible game that was, Barcelona had 72% possession in a 2-2 draw – and Chelsea played 53 minutes with 10 men after John Terry was dismissed. So that’s one way to beat them.
The other more recent revelation is that perhaps Barcelona don’t enjoy a dose of the old medicine themselves. High pressing and limited passing angles. That’s the way Arsenal (who have a Clockwork Orange-esque conditioning against bus parking) tried to take them and had they been able to score a goal or two them it may well have worked. Xavi is gone and Iniesta is a little older. Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano are too. Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar are newer additions who learned their game outside of la masia and there’s an increased pressure on Sergio Busquets in the fabled pivot position. On one hand that makes them a little more vulnerable, though on the other it also means that they’re capable of going more direct should they need to. Suarez is a freakin’ battering ram when necessary, just ask Norwich fans. So pushing onto the ball carrier and trying to force Barcelona into a mistake is great in theory but if you let Suarez or Neymar get running in behind your defence then that’s trouble too.
Both have proven successful on rare occasions, the bus parking really took precedence after Mourinho’s Inter Milan did it in 2009-10 – although the efforts of Man Utd in 2007-08 count for a bit too (when they won 1-0 on aggregate after a 14th minute Paul Scholes goal in the second leg that ranks as one of the Champions League’s greatest ever – granted that game pre-dated Pep Guardiola). But Mourinho’s team are the one that made it fashionable. For a while there that was how teams thought you beat these guys. In recent times the second option has seen a bit of success and so clubs are looking to copy that one instead. That’s the way it goes, there are only ever a handful of trendsetters and there are armies of followers. The best example of stratagem two was Bayern Munich’s scintillating 7-0 aggregate win in 2012-13 in the semi finals.
The main advantage that the Take It To Them approach has is that if you pick the ball off a defender or a deep midfielder then you can immediately counter attack. Parking the bus only ever portends to more and more defending. Maybe a set-piece move or something if lucky.
It also helps to catch Barcelona on an off day, because like all teams they do have them. In fact they’ve had a few of them recently, games where the passing will be as quick and the possession as thorough as always… but without a certain cutting edge. Like they’re too complacent or something. Manchester City do this far more often but Barca have their lazy Sundays too. Both of those teams (Barca more so, no doubt) also have the singular talents to be able to still win those games with a piece of late magic, Barcelona you can almost see them turning the screws sometimes. They did it against Arsenal in fact, playing well below their usual standards but seeing the benefits in the end as they tired the Gunners out. Tired players lead to bad decisions and poor execution, and made them pay in the end. Here’s what Luis Enrique had to say:
"What I most liked was everything, the whole game we played. From the start, our finishing, how we tired them out by using the ball in the first half. Everyone who knows anything about football knows that you need a first half like this, so that in the second half you can do that. They were tired out from supporting each other. We could open spaces and make chances.”
That’s the other downside of stratagem two. It’s bloody hard work, especially without the morale boosting of a goal or two. One is defence by overwhelming numbers, two is defence by overwhelming pressure. The problem is that Barcelona have three overwhelming attackers and you can shut one down, maybe even two but then the other dude’s gonna get ya in the end if you’ve a weakness. Arsenal weren’t good enough at the back, nor are their attacking midfielders very suited to defensive coverage (Ozil, mainly). You could say they made a mistake in not starting Danny Welbeck and possibly Joel Campbell as well. They’re pretty much done now, at least they can blame this round of 16 exit on the draw and not their own failings (to be fair this is the best Arsenal side in ages).
There are 14 other teams still in the Cup though. Plenty of them have it in them to what the Gunners could not.
Real Madrid
Preferred Stratagem: B
In the past, Real have usually parked the bus but you get the feeling that ZiZou ain’t about that life. Nor is Cristiano Ronaldo, even if he is perfectly suited to playing on the counter attack. What Real have going in both their favour and to their detriment is familiarity. They play Barcelona multiple times every single season, they know them better than any of these teams (including Atletico) and in return they are known better. The one time they met this season was a 4-0 Barca win in Madrid which went a long way to getting Rafa Benitez sacked, but don’t rule out any result in a Clasico. A high energy, off-the-ball performance isn’t really in their wheelhouse but they have their own way of pressurising which comes from the wealth of attacking talent on that team sheet every week. They can hit you as hard as anyone with Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema and all of them. Plus they’re a rare team that can keep the ball off Barca relatively well. Real’s biggest advantage is that, by familiarity, they aren’t scared of Barcelona. They won’t let the Catalans spoil their way of playing.
Wolfsburg
Preferred Stratagem: B
Oh they’ll go for it. They surely will, but even a career day for Lord Bendtner wouldn’t be enough. Not even if Julian Draxler puts on a cape and mask and does his best superhero impersonation. They did knock Manchester United out already but that came via a 3-2 win. Guys like Draxler, Andrea Schurrle and Ivan Perisic mean they’re a team that always has goals in them but the defence isn’t gonna hold out.
Atletico Madrid
Preferred Stratagem: A
Diego Simeone’s team is conservative no matter who they’re playing. They also have a solid record of performances against Barcelona. Not results, just performances, though that still counts for plenty. Since the start of 2013 they’ve played each other 13 times and Atletico has won only once – but they’ve also only lost once by more than one goal. That shows that they’re always in these games and that maybe a tactical tweak or two and they might get them. That one win? The quarter final second leg in 2013-14. They made the UCL final that season. Atletico is a physical team that can knock Barca off balance. They’re also superb from set pieces and that’s a known weakness for Messi’s lads. They’re a possibility, we’ve gotta give them that.
Manchester City
Preferred Stratagem: B
English teams against Barcelona tend not to be the best combination. But then you never quite know with City, a team that sometimes look like they’re coasting through games and then in others they can be so scintillating that you only wish they could do it more consistently. Sergio Aguero can score three times with two clear chances. Fernandinho will do more than a job in midfield and David Silva, Raheem Sterling and (the injured) Kevin De Bruyne are creativity defined. They can’t afford to carry Yaya Toure if he’s not bothered, although how could that be the case against his old team? Plus Manuel Pellegrini is desperate for a Champions League run, he’s desperate for it. He was happy to risk the FA Cup to that end and he might just risk the league as well if it comes to that. So long as Vincent Kompany is there they have a dependable defence but their strength is going forward and that’s how they’d have to beat Barca, consider as well the experience of losing to them last season. Put it this way, they have a better chance than any other English team.
Bayern Munich
Preferred Stratagem: B
It’s happened before. Pep Guardiola would love to get one over his old team and he has a squad that could do it. It’s interesting how Pep’s adapted his style to Bayern, Barca have adapted theirs since he left too so the clash of styles isn’t as clear as it could be. Bayern can play direct. Hell yeah they can. They have a strong midfield and a wingers in Douglas Costa and Arjen Robben with great pace (not Masch and Pique’s best attribute), there are few more thrilling things in football than a Bayern Munich counter attack. When you get two teams that love possession and are used to teams that sit back on them, there’s where that clash of styles really exists. It isn’t their differences that could be the danger but their similarities. Also, Robert Lewandowski is not gonna waste many chances. Bayern thrillingly took it to Barcelona a few years back… they’ll look to do it again. They might be the Champions League’s best chance of knocking this Barcelona team out.
Chelsea
Preferred Stratagem: A
Hey come on. Mourinho’s gone but this is still Chelsea we’re talking about. They’ll park the hell outta that bus, man, they’ll parallel park it if they have to. Though with the way their defence has played this season it’ll probably take a few dings all the same. Doubt they’d be able to beat Barca, doubt they’ll get past PSG in the first place, but Diego Costa vs Gerard Pique would be a stunner for entertainment value.
Zenit
Preferred Stratagem: A
Andre Villas-Boas prefers a more open style of footy but he knows where the cards lie. Below a certain quality of team, you simply don’t stand much of a chance and Zenit are back in that pack.
PSG
Preferred Stratagem: B
France’s finest are in a strange position. Are they good enough to actually challenge for the Champions League or are they Arsenal? Sorry Gooners, don’t mean to pick on you, but do you get what I mean? Like, a team with Zlatan and Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani and Thiago Motta and Thiago Silva and whoever else deserves a mention but isn’t getting one is a team that should be able to roll with the best of them but in their current three-peat of Ligue 1 titles they’ve been knocked out in the quarters of the UCL every time. Once on away goals to Chelsea and then twice to Barcelona. Financially they’re one of Europe’s elite but Laurent Blanc’s team really need a deep European run before teams look at them and tremble. They should look to drive a spear through the middle of that Barca defence, however it’s unlikely they can keep them at bay at the same time. Case and point: David Luiz. The man who is to defending what Jacques Cousteau was to architecture. No relation.
PSV Eindhoven
Preferred Stratagem: B
The Dutch lads have a shot at getting through, after a 0-0 home leg vs Atletico. A score draw and they’ll do it. But you wouldn’t back them to go any further. They did defend well enough with ten men for the last 20 or so of that game though, that sorta experience can help.
Benfica
Preferred Stratagem: A
Another team that’d be swimming out of their depth if they drew Barca. The winner of Benfica v Zenit (1-0 to Benny after their home leg) and the winner of Gent vs Wolfsburg (3-2 to the Wolves with their home game to come) are the two that everyone else wants to draw next round. Wouldn’t it be great if they got each other?
Juventus
Preferred Stratagem: A
Definitely bus parkers, they tried it last year in the final. The problem for Juve is that, like Arsenal, they lack pace at the back and as such the chances of them holding out 90-180 minutes is slim. There’s plenty of attacking talent there to threaten but Andrea Pirlo is gone, remember, and so is Arturo Vidal. Pairing Paul Pogba with Sami Khedira on a free is great business but it doesn’t improve that team. Despite losing Carlos Tevez they’re now stronger up front but the rest of the park they’ve arguably gotten worse. Arguably. Plus The Old Lady has a brutal second leg in Munich to get past first.
Roma
Preferred Stratagem: A
Gonna go with the conservative option here in part because of Italian reputation but mostly because Roma are the team that came outta Barcelona’s group with them. After an insane Alessandro Florenzi goal got them a 1-1 draw in Rome in which they did a fine job of soaking up pressure, they were then massacred 6-1 in Catalonia. Suarez with a double, Messi with a couple also on return from injury. A late Edin Dzeko consolation didn’t spare too many blushes. They’ve gotta reel back a two goal deficit on the road to Ronaldo and company to make it to the quarters anyway, so no go.
Arsenal
Preferred Stratagem: B
It’s probably too late for them, but usually they respond to lost causes with a positive performance. One that still eliminates them, though with a slice of salvaged dignity.
Dynamo Kiev
Preferred Stratagem: A
Already doomed after losing 3-1 to City. They’d have to park the bus because they don’t have the soldiers to mount a forward assault. If anything, 3-1 was flattering to them. No chance.
Gent
Preferred Stratagem: A
Gent don’t stand a chance at either. The scrappy Belgians are just happy to have made it this far.