Champions League 2018-19, Tottenham Hotspur vs Barcelona: Tactical preview

The encounter between Spurs and Barca in Group B is one that is going to be pivotal in determining which team can gain a foothold of the group. While Spurs will be heartbroken following their loss against Inter, they can bounce back if they are able to oust Barca. Barca, on the other hand, went about their business against PSV and will be expected to put Spurs to the sword despite the last couple of results not going their way. Moreover, with Messi declaring the Champions League as his priority, we can expect him to follow up his hattrick the first time around with some more magic.

Valverde has experimented with quite a few formations this season although I expect him to start with a 4-1-2-1-2 in this clash. I expect Dembele to drop out for Vidal, despite his scintillating form off late. Coutinho could either operate in the left half space or as a number 10, depending on whether Vidal pushes up to initiate the press through the middle. Messi will provide width on the right and join Suarez as the second striker on counter attacks, while Rakitic and Busquets will be expected to win and recycle the ball to either Coutinho or Messi. On the defensive end, Umtiti’s suspension means that Lenglet will partner Pique, with Alba and Semedo playing at full back.

Pochettino will be forced to ring in the changes with Eriksen, Dembele and Vertonghen facing late fitness tests and will probably have to line up in a 4-2-3-1. Moura, Son and Lamela will line up behind Kane and will bear Spurs creative workload if Eriksen misses out. Although if Eriksen does start I expect Son to drop out and Eriksen to slot into the hole with Lamela on the wing. The central midfield pairing of Dier and Dembele/Sissoko will be tasked with dealing with the nifty movement of the Barca midfielders.

The key for Barca defensively will be to defend off the ball in 4-4-2 and not provide Spurs space through the middle. The centre backs will have to be wary of Kane’s runs into the inside channel, which in turns opens up space for runners through the middle. This along with the propensity of the Spurs fullbacks to bomb forward and get crosses into the box will be a key clash in this game. Barca will need to prevent these overloads in the wide areas by making their wide midfielders track back and occupy those half spaces Trippier and Davies love popping into. If they can maintain this discipline throughout the game the likes of Coutinho, Dembele and Messi will get acres of space to run into in the wide areas on the counter.

Barca need to be quick and accurate with their passing in the final third to unlock this spurs team if they decide to sit back. They cannot afford to have the same lackadaisical attitude on the ball in the final third, like they did against Bilbao. Vidal will need to press Dembele/Sissoko out of the game and force Spurs to play long balls to Kane. While this strategy may work in bypassing the Barca press, Kane will be left isolated. This will allow Barca to win the ball back and let Messi orchestrate his magic, which will bring the likes of Suarez and Coutinho into the game. Dembele will also be a live wire of the bench and could be useful if the game gets stretched.

I expect this to be an end-to-end encounter with both teams getting plenty of chances on the counter. The stakes are high for Valverde especially given his unconvincing start to the season along with an increasingly difficult fixture list. Thus a win here is a must to prevent an early sacking. Poch, on the other hand, has plenty to prove following their success against big teams in the Champions League last season, so this game will definitely not disappoint.

Probable lineup for Spurs:

Gazzaniga; Trippier, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Davies; Dembele, Dier; Moura, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane.

Probable lineup for Barca:

Ter Stegen; Semedo, Lenglet, Pique, Alba; Busquets; Coutinho, Rakitic; Vidal; Messi, Suarez.