The dominance of European football by Barcelona since the 2005/06 Champions League triumph over Arsenal is one that goes beyond dry statistics.
The club’s dominance is one felt by many teams as they prepare to face the Catalans with equal measure of tactical acumen and hope.
But what tangible factors in this period conspire to make this team so apparently formidable? For a full tactical analysis I’d suggest consulting anything by Johnathan Wilson, but I offer just a few thumbnail sketches:
Messi and friends
Undoubtedly Barcelona’s success rate is proportional to the Argentinian’s presence. They win 82 percent of the time he plays, 54 percent when he doesn’t.
It is his slalom runs in the final third that open space, make defenders ball watch and create more havoc than a mouse in a burlesque show (thank you Foghorn Leghorn).
But equally dangerous are the duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and the tiki-taka triangles with Messi to keep possession and then pounce when the spaces are ripe for attacking.
Behind these two lies the glue of Barcelona, Busquets, a man so dominant in the space between the back 4 (or 3) and the tiki-taka club that forget he’s there, given the few times the ball is lost there.
All of Barcelona’s defenders play the ball better than 90 percent of the EPL’s midfielders, and players like Alves and Abidal just add a further layer of fright to an already stretched and freyed defence. I often wonder just how further back Barcelona would be withoutf Messi.
Culture of fear
As is often the case, fear is heightened by the unknown, and the best results against Barcelona are achieved by fellow La Liga teams who know them well enough to face Barca without fear and stem the tide sufficiently such that any off day may be rewarded with a draw (like Villareal on Sunday), or if the Gods smile, a 1-0 win.
This begs the question: does psychology play more of a role than usual? Does the way that Barca plays instill enough fear so that any instilled plans are not followed through due to this fear of conceding?
Perceptions of bias
Adding to the perception of invincibility is the intangible perception of bias, a factor certainly promoted by Jose Mourinho, a character who has become European football’s version of Wile E Coyote with his eternal quest to knock off Barcelona at every clasico.
Though pre-Special One, we did have an assistant referee stripped of his duties after posing in a Barca strip prior to the 2006 Champion’s League final vs Arsenal for a Norwegian peper. UEFA acted, even if not swiftly.
Mourinho’s accusations of pro-Barcelona bias have worn thin to many, although given that he has to face Guardiola upwards of five times every calendar year, he could argue the greatest sufferance.
Far from suggesting that these perceptions exist, it adds to the aura surrounding the club. Mourinho loses, waits by the car for the referee for a last rejoinder, while all of Barcelona ignore it and celebrate their passage through another two-legged clasico.
On the negative side though, the way Xavi and friends pursue cards from officials is at best ugly to watch and not befitting a team this good.
Guardiola
Simple point. Pep lives and breathes the Barcelona high tempo possession ethos, is a local boy and has never faced any of the frictions encountered by Louis Van Gaal or Frank Rijkaard.
The best European club team of all time?
Ok, obviously a subjective question, but I can only think of one team in my own lifetime that could stand up to this Barcelona and possibly boss them at times.
I would submit that the best Milan team from 1989-93 would be more than a match. Their defence would not be suckered in by the creation of ‘negative space’ caused by the tiki-taka.
Rijkaard and Ancelotti would close down most of the interplay while the back four of Tasotti, Baresi, Costacurta and Maldini would have no fear of Messi, Villa or anyone else.
Any lapse in the final third would be punished by the duo of Gullit and Van Basten. It would be a game to savour.
Whatever the factors are that contribute to the rise and rise of Barcelona, it is clear they are revered and will take a special formula to offer up a successor.
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