3 Defensive Improvements Barcelona Must Make Following 3-2 Victory over Sevilla

Barcelona gave fans a thriller as they saw off Sevilla with a last minute strike from Alexis Sanchez to win 3-2. But do not let the victory fool you; Barcelona was far from perfect against their opponents.

The Blaugrana attack missed the final ball for long stretches of the match while passes were misplaced far too often. However, it was again the defense that proved to be not quite good enough to let Cules relax.

Sevilla scored two corner headers, though one was incorrectly called back, but also brilliantly finished a chance from a counter attack.

With Barcelona’s defense continuing to show obvious signs of weakness, there has to be a fix. In this article we will take a look at three defensive improvements that could provide immediate positive results for the Catalan club.

Put an End to the High Line

Barcelona will always be susceptible to counter attacking due to their possession based style of play. But the Catalan club should not struggle as much as they actually do.

In the match at the Camp Nou, Sevilla had multiple counter-attacks that nearly led to a goal. The Barcelona defense was forced to backtrack quickly and was saved on a few occasions by last second tackles.

However, Barcelona was unable to stop one quick counter that ultimately led to a goal for Sevilla.

The reason Barcelona struggles mightily against quick attacks after losing possession is based on the fact that the center-backs play such a high line that they are always caught out of position.

Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano spend nearly the entire match at or above the halfway line. Once Barcelona losses the ball the defenders are caught so far up the pitch that it is almost impossible to get back into a defensive stance in time to deal with attackers.

In all honesty, Barcelona’s current defense spends more time chasing attackers than defending them.

Barcelona plays such a high line to help keep possession and control the middle of the pitch. But at this point, that extra stability far up the pitch is greatly hurting the club’s ability to defend.

If the Catalans want to be stronger defensively, then the center-backs must play further behind the midfield. Barcelona will continue to bleed goals from the counter unless more emphasis is given to staying back in defense.

Organize Forward Runs

Dani Alves may have scored a wonderful header to give Barcelona the early 1-0 lead, but his lack of defensive effort is beginning to hurt the Catalans. And it is not only Alves at fault here.

It is widely known that Barcelona’s full-backs will always be more of a part of the offense than the defense. This is quickly becoming a major problem and must be fixed immediately.

Jordi Alba and Dani Alves are two of the best full-backs in the world at getting forward. In fact, both would make rather spectacular wingers for many clubs across Europe. But defending must be the first priority.

Far too often both defenders venture forward and link up with the wingers to become solely offensive weapons. But Alves and Alba cannot continue to be involved in the attack at the same time.

When Barcelona loses possession, there are usually only two defenders prepared to deal with the attack because of Alves and Alba’s love for attacking. That is a major problem.

If manager Tata Martino wants to fix the defensive problems at Barcelona, he must have a talk with Alves, Alba and even fellow full-back Adriano.

In no way should Alves and Alba stop attacking. They contribute too much offensively to sit back in defense. But the duo must learn when to go forward and how to stay back when the ball is on the other side of the field.

If they learn to organize their runs, it would go a long way to giving Barcelona defensive stability.

Do Away with Zonal Marking on Corner Kicks

Sevilla scored twice from a corner kick against Barcelona. One was incorrectly called back, but the other stood. Yet the biggest problem was that both headers were conceded because of the same problem.

Barcelona continues to use a zonal marking strategy when defending corners.

What this means is that each player is responsible for defending an area inside the box rather than specific players. Zonal marking done right can prove extraordinary, but that is rarely the case for Barcelona.

In the match against Sevilla, both headed goals were conceded because no one picked up the attacking player who had plenty of space to find the ball. If the defense fails to pick up an attacker, goals will always be conceded.

The best way for Barcelona to end their corner and set piece woes is to adopt the strategy of marking a player rather than an area.

If this is done, then no one would be free to find space in the box. Man-marking defense puts a heavy emphasis on making sure your attacker does not reach the ball, but zonal marking always leaves empty space to run into.

The answer seems rather simple for Barcelona: Find an opponent and defend him. But corners and set pieces continue to be a problem for La Blaugrana.

Barcelona remains one of the strongest clubs in Europe. But how much longer will it be before opponents realize that scoring against the Catalans really isn’t that difficult?

How can Barcelona fix their defensive woes? Does the club need to buy a new defender? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Tre’ Atkinson. Follow me on Twitter for more discussions on Barcelona and all Spanish football!

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