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With their backs to the wall, playing in a must-win game, Quique Setien's Barcelona demolished Villarreal in a thrilling 4-1 encounter at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Monday, 6 July.
Villarreal came into the match on late Sunday evening (Spanish time) on a six-match undefeated streak, but they were no match for the Catalans. Sublime performances from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Antione Griezmann ensured that Barcelona kept their hopes for the LaLiga title alive.
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If it were not for the ridiculous antics from Arturo Vidal and some heroic goalkeeping from Sergio Asenjo, the home team would have at least conceded six goals, if not more.
The game was alive for the first 15 minutes, with both teams wreaking havoc in the attacking third. But once Luis Suarez scored in the 20th minute, it was a landslide.
To make matters worse for Villarreal, Paco Alacacer pulled a muscle and had his evening cut short in the 36th minute. The home team were no match for the nimble-footed, high-spirited Barcelona, who were just looking to inflict pain on their opponents.
Barcelona routed the opposition box for the rest of the game as Villarreal's presence was slowly wiped away over the course of the 90 minutes.
On that note, here are the 5 Key Observations from the game.
#1 Antoine Griezmann finally gets into his element
The world's most expensive squad player was finally given a start by Quique Setien, days after the latter stated that it was not possible to play Griezmann without hurting the balance of the team.
Well, not only was that statement turned on its head, but it was done so in the most spectacular fashion.
Antoine Griezmann, after weeks and weeks of criticism about his energy, mentality, and positioning, managed to pull off a gorgeous performance on the night.
Partnering Luis Suarez in the attack in a 4-3-1-2 formation, Griezmann solved several problems that have been haunting Barcelona for years.
Griezmann's performance papered over a multitude of issues that have been plaguing Barcelona for a while. Suarez's lack of pace up front was compensated for by Griezmann. Even from a defensive standpoint, the Frenchman was also instrumental in pressing high and winning the ball back for his team.
Additionally, Griezmann's energy, work ethic, and willingness to track back enabled him to help Barcelona's midfield cope with fast counters.
Yes, there are still doubts about the tactical part of his game, but Griezmann's work ethic cannot be questioned.
And he topped that off with an exquisite chip from the edge of the box that had a goalkeeper of Asenjo's calibre take a moment and watch the ball fly into the net.
If the goal looked familiar to you, it was because Lionel Messi had scored a very similar one against Real Betis in March last season.
#2 Setien's natural instinct is to attack, get used to it
It is no secret that of late, Quique Setien has been under severe scrutiny as the manager of FC Barcelona. Not only have his methods been questioned, but his 'lack of authority' on the touchline has also been criticised by the press over the last week.
The possibility of bringing legendary midfielder back to the club in a managerial role has been raised recently. And it was speculated that Setien's job would be in a tight spot if he did not get favourable results against Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.
So, after dropping points against Madrid, Setien did what he had done best for the past couple of years.
Attack.
Starting Lionel Messi in a free role was a masterstroke. The little magician moved up and down the pitch, orchestrating the play at his rhythm, whereas Suarez and Griezmann provided the flair upfront.
Anyone who is familiar with Javier Calleja and his Villareal would know that his team likes to get a feel of the ball and dictate the pace of the game. But Setien's plan was to cut that off.
Setien also started Sergi Roberto in the left of a midfield three, something that is not natural to the player. The decision paid dividends, as Roberto was instrumental in creating the opportunity for the own goal within the first three minutes of the game.
He would go on to do the same throughout the 90 minutes before he was slotted into the back four again.
With Barca 3-1 up in the 72nd minute, the coach introduced Ansu Fati and Martin Braithwaite to inject more pace into the attack. The move signified intent, ambition, and clear mentality, something that has not been seen from Setien in the past.
#3 Barcelona need to concentrate on bringing in defenders in the transfer window
This game pretty much proved that Barcelona's attack does not need any new additions. All the attackers, barring Martin Braithwaite, were amongst the goals and assists tonight. Why would you want to mess that combination up?
Barcelona, in their madman pursuit of signing a purebred attacker, have always overlooked their need for defenders. Statement signings like Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet have not stepped up to take the mantle from Gerard Pique. While Lenglet has shown promise, Umtiti's string of injuries have proved to be a massive headache for Barcelona.
Given the fact that the Catalans have a thin skeleton in the back four and the actuality that Pique will not be around forever, a COVID-19 affected market could be a good opportunity for Barcelona to get someone into the squad for the long-term.
The club is in desperate need of a centre-back who is fast enough to cover the spaces left by Nelson Semedo, who under Setien has been pushed forward to give the attack more width rather than worrying about defensive frailties.
#4 Villarreal expose Setien's problem
This is more of an extension to the previous point, but it needs to be looked upon separately.
With Setien adopting his natural attacking approach in the game, Barcelona left yards and yards of space for the opponent's wingers to attack.
The left half of the pitch remains relatively unexposed because Frenchman Lenglet is quick enough to get to the ball. Additionally, Barcelona's left side of midfield is filled with relatively younger candidates and their energy helps them track back regularly and effectively.
But that is not the case for the right side of the pitch. With Semedo up and Vidal trying to intercept between the channels, Pique is left with acres and acres of space to cover. It is a miracle that he still does it at the age of 33, and at times when he doesn't, opponents wreak havoc at that end.
Case in point being Atletico Madrid who snatched two penalties off the right side of Barcelona's pitch. This ultimately turned out to be the deciding factor in the game.
#5 Once back to full fitness, what will the midfield look like?
Barcelona have tried several combinations in the midfield this season. Before the injury of Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona preferred to go with the trio of de Jong - Busquets - Vidal/Rakitic. These positions changed over the course of the season, with Rakitic playing the deeper role, de Jong playing as a wide midfielder, and Vidal operating in a free role.
However, with de Jong picking up an injury, Setien was forced to try out two players who turned out to be absolute sensations in the middle of the park.
Young Riqui Puig's movements have already drawn comparison with Andres Iniesta, and Sergi Roberto's incredible performance tonight pretty much solidified a long-term assumption that Barcelona are wasting his talents in the right-back position. He can clearly do so much more when deployed as a midfielder.
Who can forget that solo run against Real Madrid in Barcelona's 3-2 last-minute victory?
Quique Setien, if he stays that is, would have to sort this issue out first. Barcelona have already acquired the services of Miralem Pjanic from Juventus and this move would only increase the selection problems in the midfield.
Having said all of that, last night was not about the prolonged issues neither was it about the cynics. Last night was about Barcelona's brand of football making a return in the LaLiga, many moons after Ernesto Valverde left.
This game will prove to be a breath of fresh air for Setien, Griezmann, Suarez, and several others in the Barcelona team who have been under severe scrutiny of late. A 4-1 victory must've surely added a fresh impetus to their title hopes and certainly to the Champions League dream, that is set to resume on Friday, August 7, 2020.
