TACTICAL ANALYSIS: BARCELONA 5-0 BETIS | XAVI’S PENTAGON WITH JOÃO FÉLIX & CANCELO

Let’s analyze Barcelona’s victory against Betis in a match in which we saw Xavi Hernández’s pentagon for the first time. The basic setup is a 4-3-3, with Joao Cancelo as right back and João Félix as left winger, in the usual role of the player in this position for Barça, drifting inside to create a box midfield. The difference is the position of João Cancelo, who instead of forming a back 3 in the defensive line, inverts overloading the central area creating a pentagon.

We can see it here, the 5 players in very little space, offering many passing lines, making it impossible for Betis to avoid the progression.

To understand João Cancelo’s position, this play with the center backs in possession and Cancelo is inverted in the middle of the field.

When he appeared closer to his usual area, on the right flank, he provided depth with carries and making good decisions, showing a great technical level as in the play in which he scored the last goal.

Barcelona opened the scoring with their secret weapon last season, high-press to recover and score. This time with a great press by Cancelo and Oriol Romeu, who was at a very high level in the pass, assisted the other protagonist of the game, João Félix, who made a good movement off the ball running into the box.

The Portuguese was able to receive many passes playing between the lines, showing great vision as in the second goal where he lets the ball pass knowing that Lewandowski is behind him attacking the space.

A new beginning for Barcelona, with João Cancelo and João Félix forming Xavi’s pentagon, before the start of the Champions League.