Barcelona have lost zero games out of their last 13 matches, with the Catalans evidently playing with a new lease of life since coach Xavi Hernandez announced his resignation.
While Barça still have a long way to go before they can declare the season an outright success, the strides they have made over the last few months significantly contrast their performances from earlier in the season.
This newfound confidence was best transmitted in the clash against PSG in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, as Barcelona secured a convincing 3-2 win over the Parisians.
Delving deeper into the reasons behind the Blaugranes’ upturn in form, there are three improvements that brought Barcelona back to its elite level.
1. Defensive resurgence
Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, and Jules Kounde have marshaled the back line exceptionally since playing in a faux three-at-the-back system.
Specifically, the complementary profiles of Cubarsi and Araujo have allowed Barcelona to overcome their previous shortcomings, with a mix of distribution excellence and duel-winning present.
Barcelona’s invincible defensive trio.
In Gerard Pique’s penultimate year with Barcelona, the Spaniard maximized Araujo’s strengths by handling the bulk of build-up responsibilities. Now, Cubarsi is emulating his role as the duo synergizes, complementing each other’s strengths and mitigating their weaknesses.
Moreover, Kounde’s role at right-back has been equally important, as the Frenchman excels not only in possession but also in providing defensive cover to the wide channels when Barcelona are defending.
Individually, the defenders have all stepped up, but from a collective standpoint, credit goes to Xavi for placing his men in a favorable context and profiling them to perfection.
After all, the structural overhaul has reduced the team’s tendency to get cut open in transition, liberating the defenders further.
The fact that Barcelona have kept six clean sheets in a row in La Liga…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/three-major-improvements-that-helped-fc-barcelona-get-back-to-the-elite-level/
Author : Shahraiz Sajjad
Publish date : 2024-04-15 06:17:00
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