Just in case conspiracy theory nuts needed any more evidence that the world is about to come to an end, FC Barcelona are not playing in their patented 4-3-3 setup due to a variety of factors. Carles Puyol is injured, Pedro needs a rest, and Pep Guardiola knows that he’s won the league after Real Madrid’s most recent slip-up. Additionally, Valencia and their 4-2-3-1 setup had some decent success in the first meeting between these two clubs. Basically, the only things similar between this setup and Barca’s normal setup are: David Villa is a center forward, Xavi is a center midfielder.
Valencia CF Vs. FC Barcelona: Blaugranas Lineup Is A 3-5-2, World Implodes
Everything else? Quite a bit different. Gerard Pique, Eric Abidal, and Sergio Busquets are your central defenders. This makes room for Javier Mascherano in a defensive midfield role. It’s possible that he just looks like a bad passer in comparison to his teammates, but Mascherano appears to be unable to competently pass a football. Dani Alves and Adriano are the wing backs, and they’re performing that duty pretty well. Messi is a second striker/rover playing off of Villa, which is kind of the role he plays in the 4-3-3 anyway, I guess (Calling Messi a winger has always been a farce).
So far, it’s certainly interesting. Ineffective, but interesting. Barcelona might be great when they settle in, but Valencia have started the match as the slightly better side.
See More:
