Getting back to action : How the club approaches Mallorca?

Day by day, we return to normality. A few days ago, it had been officially confirmed that La Liga will return on June 11th with the R.Betis-Sevilla fixture. However, the full schedule has been officially released by La Liga
–
📅June 13th
📌 Mallorca-Barça
🕑22:00 CET
– 📅June 16th
📌Barça-Léganes
🕑22:00 CET
–
Barça will be back. In 12 days. Clashes will be now take place at 7pm & 10pm, an usual time compared to the pre-corona era. It will be interesting to see how we’ll do w/ these new times. The first La Liga matches with 5 substitutes allowed, and the first one is away. However, whether it changes much without fans is another question.

Setien will find himself again with little time. After we’ve travelled to Mallorca on Saturday, we’ll face Leganés on Tuesday in an empty Camp Nou. Thus leaving only two actual days of preparation for Setien & Co-These two matches should be about rotations, as we’ll later face Atletico & Sevilla in a very close timeframe. Keeping the same XI wouldn’t make sense-expecting a 100% performance every third day is unrealistic.

Finally, Sétien will have finally had his first complete collective session. If we had started training earlier, it’s only since today that Setien is allowed his first ‘normal’ session post-corona.

Stressful time for Sétien & co. We will see how Setien will react to the demands with little time. Hard days are coming, but Barça will be back!

New chances available in the Corona era football

With the first match Barcelona match post-corona, a major change has been introduced: The 5 substitutes rule.

Pre corona, 3 changes were the rule. However, due to fitness fears, UEFA has decided to introduce 5 subs. Quique Setien himself has said: “I don’t believe this new rule will benefit us”

Setien isn’t wrong. We tend to be the most prolific and efficient in the second half, due to our style of play. With more ideological insistance following Quique’s arrival, we’ve been used to profit from a tired opposition towards the last quarter of the game to make the difference.

However, with 5 substitutes, the advantage will slip away. We won’t be able to profit much from it, as subs will replace the tired legs-It’s true for us too, tho.

For me, we should try to give our all in the first half at time but alternate tempos depending on the opponent-We’ve become far too horizontal and therefore predictable, thus easier to counter our plans for the opposition.

It may not give us advantages, but every down side has its upside: We can use la Masia more to replace the tired ones, especially considering we’re playing every third day. Another tough puzzle for Quique.

ElJdP

Positional play expressed through all phases of play, a football fan that fell in love with the Beautiful Game over 10 years ago. Occasionally writes about FC Barcelona for Barca_Buzz, on tactics and attempts to explain the game to the casual eye.