La Liga 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Celta Vigo vs Barcelona

On Saturday night, Ernesto Valverde recorded his fourth La Liga defeat as Barcelona manager after a total of 74 games managing the Blaugrana team. That makes just a bit over five percent of all his matches in the Spanish top division and so far, it makes him the most proficient Barcelona boss of them all.

But in a way, this defeat was somewhat an expected turn of events at the Balaídos stadium and against a highly motivated Celta Vigo team on the other side of the pitch. This tactical analysis will attempt to dissect how a depleted champions’ team fell in Vigo and how their hosts made that happen.

Lineups

Barcelona (4-3-3)

Starting XI: Cillessen  Wagué, Todibo, Umtiti, Vermaelen  Puig, Arthur, Aleña  Dembélé, Prince, Malcom

Bench: Iñaki Peña, Lenglet, Murillo, Semedo, Vidal, Coutinho, Collado

Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Celta Vigo (4-4-2)

Starting XI: Rubén  Hugo Mallo, Araújo, Cabral, Olaza  Okay, Lobotka, Boudebouz, Boufal – Maxi Gómez, Iago Aspas

Bench: Sergio, Costas, Beltrán, Sisto, Hjulsager, Jozabed, Méndez

Coach: Francisco Escribá

Barcelona’s setup

With the La Liga title already in the bag for Barcelona, Ernesto Valverde had no reason to sacrifice any of his usual starters in a more or less meaningless game. However, it was not meaningless for all the youngsters and other players aching for some minutes in the competition.

For those reasons and with the return leg at Anfield against Liverpool next week in mind, the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitić, Sergio Busquets, and Gerard Piqué were left at home to rest and in came a surge of new blood with La Masia graduates stepping up to face the music.

Jasper Cillessen was in be