Defensive fragility denies Barcelona-bound Xavi an all-happy Al Sadd farewell against 10-man Al Duhail – tactical analysis

Last Wednesday wasn’t just a normal matchday at the Qatar Stars League. Al Duhail (2nd, 21 points) faced Al Sadd (1st, 24 points) in the ninth matchday of the season. Apart from the rivalry between the two best clubs in the country, it was a special one as it’s expected to be Xavi’s last game in charge of Al Sadd before signing for Barcelona in La Liga.

Barcelona’s top decision-makers were present in the 3-3 draw in which Xavi showed how he manages highly competitive and relevant games, both for the rivalry in which we could call Al-Clásico and for the emotions involved in his highly possible farewell after almost 2.5 years managing the club and after six years from his arrival as a player at Al Sadd.

In this tactical analysis, we’ll focus on Xavi’s tactics in this game, covering his 3-2-4-1 structure, his high-tempo style, his high press and also his issues in defensive transitions and set-pieces. 

Al Sadd’s unconventional structure

Al Duhail lined up in a very compact 4-2-3-1 in which Olunga was the only player who stayed up and pressed, the rest of the team forming two close lines to close down spaces down the middle. The formation changed to a 4-4-1 after Luiz Ceara was sent off in the 45th minute. Former Tottenhams centre-back Toby Alderweirelds injury in the first minute was another big blow for the home side. 

Xavi chose an interesting and unconventional 3-2-4-1 / 3-4-2-1 / 3-2-2-3 structure. The defenders weren’t truly centre-backs, with the wide ones having an active role in the attack. The two defensive midfielders were in charge of balancing the team and moving the ball from side to side as quickly as possible. The attacking midfielders moved between the lines and appeared in and around the box, while the wingers provided width and were closer to being forwards than wing-backs. Former EPL stars like Santi Cazorla or André Ayew were among the most recognizable names in the lineup.