Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
Throughout Barcelona’s latest dwelling sport in opposition to Espanyol, the guests had two targets dominated out because of offside inside the first hour. Each incidents required VAR intervention, with selections based mostly on extraordinarily tight margins.
This situation has grow to be virtually routine beneath Hansi Flick’s management, the place opponents typically want to carry again on celebrating targets till VAR offers the all-clear.
Flick’s Barcelona has turned using VAR and the offside lure into a definite technique, forcing opponents into frequent offside conditions, making it robust for them to discover a well beyond Barça’s excessive line.
This tactic has been evident for the reason that season’s begin. Within the latest El Clasico in opposition to Actual Madrid, Los Blancos have been flagged offside a exceptional 12 occasions.
Equally, Espanyol fell into the lure repeatedly within the latest match, pushing the whole to 13 disallowed targets for Barça’s opponents because of offside calls this season.
A short look
The pattern started with Villarreal when Yeremi Pino’s objective was dominated out at La Ceramica. Following that, Barcelona’s defence has seen targets disallowed for groups like Villarreal (3), Monaco (1) Alaves (2), Sevilla (1), Bayern Munich (1), Actual Madrid (2), and now Espanyol (2).
Espanyol had two disallowed targets in opposition to Barcelona. (Picture by Alex Caparros/Getty Photos)
Throughout 12 league video games up to now, Barcelona have brought on essentially the most offsides, with a complete of 84 flagged in opposition to their opponents, seven of which got here within the latest derby.
Compared, Osasuna follows far behind with 35, with different groups like Athletic Membership, Las Palmas, and Valencia recording even fewer offsides (27).
Flick’s aspect owes this record-breaking statistic largely to the effectiveness of VAR, which has helped overturn eight out of 13 disallowed targets that have been initially awarded.
Credit score the place due
This success stems from Barcelona’s high-pressing and superior defensive position, a core facet of Flick’s ways. The staff’s excessive urgent forces opposing attackers into tight areas, creating extra alternatives for offside calls.
With the dependable centre-back pairing of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona’s defence can afford to push ahead confidently, understanding they’ve the accuracy and consciousness to lure opponents offside.
This defensive construction has grow to be an asset, permitting Barça to have a good time offside calls virtually as enthusiastically as targets, embracing the chance of preserving their defensive strains unified and their opponents pissed off.
