Individual high pressure and other keys to Athletic-Barça in the Super Cup

In the midst of controversial days, Barça will compete directly for the first title of the season. It is a prize that the team has only two games away, but both of very high demands. The first station will be Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals, one of the fittest teams in Europe this season. Here are my keys for this great match:

1. The team without Olmo

The attacker’s registration still has a tail. No matter how it ends, the only reality is that neither Dani Olmo nor Pau Víctor will be able to play tonight and, probably, neither will the final if they reach it, which already adds a difficulty for Hansi Flick.

With the return of Lamine (we will see if it starts or not), the coach had the possibility of returning to the Lamine-Olmo-Raphinha midfield line but it will not be like that. With this condition, added to the notable performance of the team against Atlético de Madrid and the small reaffirmation that the Cup match against Barbastro represented, it is most likely that Flick will form the same starting team with Fermín opening the field for the left and saving Lamine for the second half if necessary. In that case, it would be Raphinha who would play on the right. The midfielders would be for Pedri and Gavi. A possible entry by Frenkie in the middle or by Araújo at the back should not be completely ruled out, but it would be surprising.

2. Solutions for man to man

The opponent is going to pose a very demanding individual high pressure. In fact, with a total of 970 in the 19 games they have played, Valverde’s team is the one with the most recoveries in LaLiga. It comes out at an average of 51 per game, the majority of which are in the rival field, something that coincides with the fact that Barça has suffered from intense pressures such as those from Real Sociedad or Celta a few weeks ago.

Against Atlético, the team was a little better in it but it is also true that the mattress team did not push very high. The Barça team must have new solutions prepared to start the game because the lions will surely try to suffocate individually, with special attention to the two best initiators (Íñigo and Cubarsí).

3. The dilemma of transiting or possessing

With a total of 1,447 ineffective passes accumulated in the rival field in the League, Athletic is the third worst team in this aspect. His choices in the advanced areas of the field are always the most risky to advance. And that is a factor that Barça has to manage well to take advantage of, because exploiting favorable transitions will be a great scoring opportunity for the Blaugranas, but entering all of them without prior selection can cause an excessively competitive match in which, although it is true While Hansi Flick’s team is doing well in this, Athletic is doing even better. Faced with the dilemma of moving or keeping the ball to attack more calmly, Barça will have to choose well.

4. Diagonal movements

Due to Athletic’s way of playing (also Barça’s), spaces are going to appear behind the defense, something that the Blaugranas can and will have to take advantage of. More with the wingers than with Lewandowski because the number nine will have less space due to his vertical trajectory and because he is not as quick to spaces as the first. Short diagonals towards the seven (presumably Raphinha) and towards the eleven (probably Fermín) have to be one of the objectives of positional attacks. It will be important that these passes are coordinated with good unmarking trajectories. It is vital that they are also diagonal.

5. Nico, Jauregizar and Sancet’s doubt

Ernesto Valverde’s squad is very good. Without a doubt, one of the best of the Bilbao team in recent years. But if we talk about the most complete footballers, we must talk about two names that are doubtful tonight: Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams. However, everything indicates that the first one will play. He is an integral midfielder with the ability to form associations, a great winner of duels, with great physical display and a lot of arrival from the second line. With seven accumulated goals he is the top scorer in the League and the same number in the Europa League, to which we must add two total assists. Magnificent numbers for any midfielder at this point in the season.

On the other hand, Nico Williams is Athletic’s most unbalanced footballer and, after Lamine, Vinicius, Mbappé and Lukebakio, the fifth in the League averages a 2.2 dribbling surpassers per game. Finally, it is worth pointing out one of the latest discoveries from the inexhaustible quarry of Lezama, Mikel Jauregizar. A 21-year-old midfielder, defensive-minded and with spectacular intensity for pressing. Barça will have to be very attentive to everyone and, especially, to them.