Copa del Rey 2018/19: Barcelona vs Levante

Barcelona proved exactly why the Copa del Rey means the Kings Cup as they beat Levante 3-0. Using statistics, this tactical analysis will show how this match progressed.

After the 2-1 loss in the first leg Barcelona returned to the Camp Nou to face Levante. A late converted penalty by Philippe Coutinho had provided the away goal. Right from the moment the squad selection was announced, it was very apparent that Barcelona had decided to step up their game.

Unlike last time, a very strong team was announced. Nobody was selected from Barcelonas B team, unlike the first leg. With Barcelona having made their intentions clear well in advance, let’s analyse how this match played out.

Recent form

Barcelona have been on excellent form in La Liga. Winning their last six league games with an aggregate goals tally of 18-1, Barcelona are league leaders, five points ahead of Diego Simeones Atletico Madrid. Barcelona should have been able to turn over this 2-1 loss easily.

Levante are a completely different story. Winning only one game in La Liga in December, they trail on aggregate 14-10. Barcelona have always found Levante to be tricky opponents. The infamous loss to them this year lead to the atmosphere being very tense.

Build-up

There was much anticipation to this match. This match was fought on and off the pitch. Barcelona played Barcelona B defender Chumi, in the first leg. According to Levante, this should be illegal as he had picked up a suspension in the Segunda Division. But Barcelona were sticking to their side saying that is not applicable.

Coutinho had not been in the best of form recently. His previous match was very good however, and it was set up to be a turning point for him. Whether Valverde would start him remained to be seen.

This looked to be an important match for Enis Bardhi. The Macedonian was one of the worst players when Levante last lost to Barcelona. Here, playing against Barcelona’s first team, it would be important for him to prove himself. Cillessen has consistently been excellent when given a chance. He is not a selection problem for Ernesto Valverde right now, but this match could change it.

Line-ups

The line-ups were announced and as expected Barcelona put out a very strong team and so did Levante.

Barcelona (4-3-3)

Manager: Ernesto Valverde

Barcelona went with Jasper Cillessen in goal. In defense, Lenglet was joined by new boy Jeison Murillo. On the right was Portuguese right back, Nelson Semedo. Jordi Alba retained his spot at left back. In midfield, the trio of Artur, Rakitic and Vidal looked very strong. The front three were Dembele, Messi and Countinho. Some key players were clearly rested. Suarez, Pique, Busquets, Sergi Roberto were on the bench, as was youngster Carles Aleña also made the bench.

Levante (3-5-2)

Manager: Paco Lopez

Levante had gone with a very defensive option. In goal, Fernandez had the back three of Rober, Postigo and Cabaco in front of him. The midfield of five was with Enis Bardhi, the freekick specialist, to the left of Prcic along with Simon. Campaña and Coke played to the right of Prcic. The front two were the real threat. Ex-Real Madrid player Mayoral along with last seasons hat trick hero, Boateng.

Key Players

Barcelona

Messi naturally was one of the key players. Along with La Pulga, Brazils Arthur was bound to be a key player initiating many forward passes and key passes.

Levante

For Levante, young striker Emmanuel Boateng was very important. Despite having the lead, Boatengs hold up play and fast dribbling was essential. Borja Mayoral had been in good form and he was also counted on. Bardhi would be very important in midfield.

How it unfolded

02-152 (0-0)

For the first 15 minutes, Levante had no say in the game. Having a lot of possession, Barcelona were strong in attack through Ousmane Dembele. Surprisingly, Leo Messi lost possession numerous times. Barcelonas new signing, Murillo was very calm when needed.

152-302 (0-0)

Levante were very compact and looked to apply immediate pressure. Whereas for Barcelona, Ivan Rakitic dropped between the defence to transition the ball. Levante created a few chances but always lacked an end product. The tempo of the match was slower.

302-452(2-0)

This period was the most eventful. Dembeles speed was a constant problem. In the 30th minute, Messi played a pass to Dembele who had made a great run. Levante tried to clear it but it came off Dembele and went in. The second goal was another stroke of luck. The French youngster made another great run which resulted in a good pass and a chip over the keeper. The ball would have gone out of play if not for the goalkeepers legs hitting it.

Half Time (2-0)

452-602 (3-0)
Early into the second half, Coutinho latched onto Messis ball and puts it into the net. Unfortunately, the goal was disallowed due to offside. In the 54th minute, Dembele picked up the run of Semedo superbly. Semedo pulled it back to Messi who delicately chipped it over the keepers legs.

602-752 (3-0)
Levante enjoyed a bit of possession here. Both teams made substitutions. Suarez came on for Coutinho who put in a great performance. It was a very slow period for Barcelona as they neither looked threatening nor threatened. Levante created a few chances.

752-902 (3-0)

Suarez got a chance to score which was saved. Cillessen showed his dominance in the box by punching away the ball. In the 92nd minute, Levante got their best chance on goal as Boateng hits the woodwork. The match finished 3-0 as Barcelona comfortably progressed to the next round.

Overview

Barcelona transitioned into a 3-4-3 with Semedo moving up into midfield. His pace allowed him that freedom. The key men were very clearly Leo Messi and Arthur. As shown in the figure below, Messi was his usual self by unlocking the defence at will. Always making the right decision was what made Messi valuable in open play. Meanwhile, Arthur was very much the orchestrator. Without Busquets, Arthur was the one recycling possession along with Rakitic. This duo proved to be more than a handful for Levante.

Levante played in a very defensive 5-3-2. Boateng was the lone striker up front. Enis Bardhi and Mayoral were almost like attacking midfielders. Levante played very compactly up the pitch. Enis Bardhi passed the ball around and dictated his team. Levante were not very effective at keeping possession throughout.

Sustained attacking

Barcelona had 65% posession in total. Sustaining their attacking was what they built play upon. Upon losing possession, Barcelona would immediately press. This resulted in Barcelona recovering 80 balls to Levantes 60.

This aggressive pressing did make a difference. But what mattered was how Barcelona made use of this situation. Barcelona made eight counter