TACTICS: FC BARCELONA 2-4 GIRONA | MICHEL VS XAVI

Let’s analyze how Girona beat FC Barcelona. We start with Barça in possesion, waiting in a 5-3-2 mid block. Barcelona’s midfield formed by De Jong, Pedri and Gündoğan controled the game during the first 10 minutes with Girona having problems defending the players who appeared between the lines.

Míchel adjusted very well, jumping the center-backs to these players and from then on Girona was the team that dominated the game. Barcelona pressing high but Girona always finding the spare man forming diamonds and triangles. The distance between Barcelona’s lines added to the abscense of a defensive midfielder meant that there was always a space through which Girona could progress.

Girona had 2 weapons to finish off Barcelona. Allowing Barça’s press to attract players and then play a long ball for the 2v2 against the last line and the position of Miguel Gutiérrez as inverted left-back.

Here we can see Miguel’s positiong appearing very high, almost like an attacking midfielder, something very common in Girona, that Xavi couldn’t counter.

The goals are a consequence of this strengths and weaknesses. The first with Yan Couto carrying in the build-up, bad press from Barcelona being very far from the ball holder and a long ball for the 2v2. Christensen slips trying to clear it and Tsygankov assists Dobvyk.

In the second, Miguel Gutiérrez inverted at the beginning of the play, Girona circulating the ball and the left.back returns to his natural position to receive and start a drive without opposition. Koundé doesn’t jump because he has to defend his marker, the center-backs pinned by Dovbyk and Aléix García is going to attack space to attract Frenkie De Jong preventing him from giving support, finihsin Miguel Gutiérrez with a great shot.

In the third, again a 2v2, this with a long ball from the goalkeeper, Gazzaniga, and Stuani gets in front of Araújo to nod it down to Valery who beats Koundé to score.

And the last goal, a free kick, Miguel Gutiérrez reads the game perfectly understanding where the free space is. He starts the run, no one takes care of him receiving the pass, scoring Stuani at the far post.

Extraordinary victory for Girona lo lead LaLiga thanks to another great game plan from their coach, Míchel.