Has Barcelona's tiki-taka run into a wall?
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/does-barcelonas-defeat-to-atletico-spell-the-end-for-tiki-taka-1473817.html?utm_source=fpstory_cat
It
is hard to deny that defending champions Spain will go into the Brazil World
Cup in June as one of the favourites. But their 'tiki-taka' style of football
will not seem even remotely as threatening as it once did. As Barcelona trudged
off the field -- downcast and well beaten by a tactically superior Atletico
Madrid, the overwhelming feeling was they need a change of tactics. And if
Barcelona need a change of tactics then so do Spain because of the personnel
and the playing style that the teams share. For the first time since 2007,
there will be no Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal draw. It has been
a long glorious run but the end was inevitable. However, this wasn't like the
defeat against Chelsea in 2012 -- where the Blues soaked the pressure despite
being reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute of their semi-final -- or the loss
against Bayern in 2013 -- where Barca were without Messi. Has Barcelona's
tiki-taka run into a wall? AP Has Barcelona's tiki-taka run into a wall? AP
This was Atletico chasing the ball down and not giving Barcelona a moment's
respite. Barca's possesion was 64 percent but they got almost nothing going
near Atletico's goal. Diego Simeone's side were alert the threat and quick to
snuff out the few chances that Barcelona got. Bayern, in 2013, had been content
to let Barca roll the ball around in their own half. Chelsea had sat deep and
defended with great discipline. Atletico were a different breed of persistent
though. Barcelona's tiki-taka has been so successful simply because the players
are in constant motion -- finding gaps and spaces in the opposition formation.
It was because of these gaps that Barca could string together pass after pass
with great accuracy and the opposition would be left chasing shadows. But
Atletico worked hard to ensure that the gaps very rarely appeared and when they
did they were closed down with a rapidity that opposition coaches will have
noticed. Last week's 1-1 draw was the fourth time Atletico and Barca had
battled to a draw. And last night's win shows that if nothing else they have
figured out a way to at least stop Messi and Co consistently. The template that
emerges seems to be startlingly simple: Hit them hard in the early going, swamp
them (get a goal if possible) and then sit back and wait for an opportunity to
counter. Bayern did it last season and Atletico have done the same (1 goal and
they hit the post thrice in the first 20 minutes). Expect all countries that
run into Spain at the World Cup to try and do the same as well. As you get more
desperate -- tiki-taka becomes more dangerous. The trick is to get a leg-up in
the early going and that is what Atletico successfully managed to do. The idea
of passing your way to victory seems to have run it's course for the moment. It
took the world some time to get around it and there was the case of Messi
playing at his absolute best too. But now it seems like the Nou Camp needs some
new tactics. Players like Neymar can bring a lot more to this team if can
actually be allowed to play with some more of his natural Brazilian flair. But
the Barcelona system doesn't quite allow him to do that. Everyone has been simply
expected to fit into the system but perhaps it is time the system adapted to
the changing times too.Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/does-barcelonas-defeat-to-atletico-spell-the-end-for-tiki-taka-1473817.html?utm_source=fpstory_cat
t is hard to deny that
defending champions Spain will go into the Brazil World Cup in June as
one of the favourites. But their 'tiki-taka' style of football will not
seem even remotely as threatening as it once did.
As Barcelona trudged off the field -- downcast and well beaten by a
tactically superior Atletico Madrid, the overwhelming feeling was they
need a change of tactics. And if Barcelona need a change of tactics then
so do Spain because of the personnel and the playing style that the
teams share.
For the first time since 2007, there will be no Barcelona in the
Champions League semifinal draw. It has been a long glorious run but the
end was inevitable. However, this wasn't like the defeat against
Chelsea in 2012 -- where the Blues soaked the pressure despite being
reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute of their semi-final -- or the loss
against Bayern in 2013 -- where Barca were without Messi.
Has Barcelona's tiki-taka run into a wall? AP
Has Barcelona's tiki-taka run into a wall? AP
This was Atletico chasing the ball down and not giving Barcelona a
moment's respite. Barca's possesion was 64 percent but they got almost
nothing going near Atletico's goal. Diego Simeone's side were alert the
threat and quick to snuff out the few chances that Barcelona got.
Bayern, in 2013, had been content to let Barca roll the ball around in
their own half. Chelsea had sat deep and defended with great discipline.
Atletico were a different breed of persistent though.
Barcelona's tiki-taka has been so successful simply because the players
are in constant motion -- finding gaps and spaces in the opposition
formation. It was because of these gaps that Barca could string together
pass after pass with great accuracy and the opposition would be left
chasing shadows. But Atletico worked hard to ensure that the gaps very
rarely appeared and when they did they were closed down with a rapidity
that opposition coaches will have noticed.
Last week's 1-1 draw was the fourth time Atletico and Barca had battled
to a draw. And last night's win shows that if nothing else they have
figured out a way to at least stop Messi and Co consistently.
The template that emerges seems to be startlingly simple: Hit them hard
in the early going, swamp them (get a goal if possible) and then sit
back and wait for an opportunity to counter. Bayern did it last season
and Atletico have done the same (1 goal and they hit the post thrice in
the first 20 minutes). Expect all countries that run into Spain at the
World Cup to try and do the same as well.
As you get more desperate -- tiki-taka becomes more dangerous. The trick
is to get a leg-up in the early going and that is what Atletico
successfully managed to do.
The idea of passing your way to victory seems to have run it's course
for the moment. It took the world some time to get around it and there
was the case of Messi playing at his absolute best too. But now it seems
like the Nou Camp needs some new tactics.
Players like Neymar can bring a lot more to this team if can actually be
allowed to play with some more of his natural Brazilian flair. But the
Barcelona system doesn't quite allow him to do that. Everyone has been
simply expected to fit into the system but perhaps it is time the system
adapted to the changing times too.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/does-barcelonas-defeat-to-atletico-spell-the-end-for-tiki-taka-1473817.html?utm_source=fpstory_cat
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/does-barcelonas-defeat-to-atletico-spell-the-end-for-tiki-taka-1473817.html?utm_source=fpstory_cat
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