Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff had a lot of famous thoughts and quotes about the way he saw the game of football. One of the most popular was about the simplicity of the game: "Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is." It is a statement l that Barcelona should reflect on heading into the Champion's League Final against Lyon.
Barcelona plays a magnificent brand of football. When they are at their best, they are untouchable. They know each other very well and it shows in the intricacies in their passing and movement on the field. However, the semifinal against Wolfsburg should serve as a reminder that the margins at the top are small. Barcelona was guilty of attempting complicated ideas in moments that called for simplicity.
It's important to distinguish between mistakes made due to technical failure and mistakes due to bad decision making. The situations discussed in this post were mistakes Barcelona made in their decision making.
The stakes are high for Barcelona when they are in possession. The numbers that they commit in their offensive third leaves them vulnerable on transitions and counterattacks. They often make it look effortless, but there were some hiccups against Wolfsburg. Ballon D'or winner Alexia Putellas was at fault for some of the moments previously mentioned.
Videos taken from DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League YouTube channel.
They also overcomplicated some situations in their own half with simple options available.
Video taken from DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League YouTube channel.
Center back Mapi León is an aggressive player on both sides of the ball, and she usually gets her decision-making right. However, she was lucky that Wolfsburg were not able to take advantage of the following situation.
Video taken from DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League YouTube channel.
Center back Irene Paredes is a good partner for Mapi because she is consistent in her ability to read the game and make up for others' mistakes. Despite the mistakes in the clip above, it cannot be overstated how good Paredes and Mapi were in these semifinal games. Barcelona committed a lot of numbers in the attack against a Wolfsburg team that has the athleticism to make counter attacks dangerous. Their ability to make world class defensive plays when the moment called for it and manipulate ball carriers on a counterattack or offensive transition is a big reason why Barcelona will play in their third Champion's League final in four years.
The matchup against Lyon is something that has been building since they lost to the French side 4-1 in the 2019 final. There is little doubt that Barcelona will show up in their best form, and the second leg against Wolfsburg will serve as a needed wakeup call.
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