By Simon Lewis
Facing the relative minnows FC Bate Barisov in the Champions League group stages (28 Sept 2011), Barcelona were being kept at bay by the mass of yellow Bate shirts stockpiled in the midfield and in front of their penalty box. Barca were playing well but up until the quarter hour mark you wondered if they would be able to perhaps keep them at bay. Within 7 minutes Barca were 2-0 up.
Aside from the pressure they kept exerting, what made the difference in both goals was, as usual, slick and purposeful passing: move the ball quickly, don’t linger on it, get your opposition running around for it. But… a big factor was the fact that they kept switching the play from one side of the field to the other. If the opposition are massed against you and parking the bus in front of goal, you have to get up in their face… but equally you must pull them this way and that.
By spreading the ball across the field, this way then that, from left wing to right wing and back, you force the opposition to stretch themselves that little bit, thereby opening up gaps for you. Add some well-timed, darting runs as well and you can see how Barca went 2-0 up in the face of a pretty solid and determined defence.
© SIMON LEWIS • The Ball magazine simon@theball.co.za • www.theball.co.za
