Liga F 2023/24: How Atlético Madrid Femenino can test Jonatan Giráldez’s dominant Barcelona Femení – tactical preview

This Sunday, we have our first real challenge for Barcelona in the LaLiga Feminina, having dominated last seasons campaign, finishing with just one loss to Madrid CFF, winning the league title by 10 points over Real Madrid.

Barca then went on to win the UEFA Champions League, beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in the final. Then, many of their players went on to win the Womens World Cup with Spain, with Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze being losing finalists in that game.

Contrary to Barca, Atlético Madrid had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, missing out on Champions League qualification. However, they have started unbeaten this season, sitting in third position.

As you can see, Barcelona are currently the standard when it comes to womens club football. In this tactical analysis piece, we will look at both teams respective tactics in order to highlight some ways by which Atlético Madrid may be able to pose some problems for Barcelona in this tactical analysis in the form of a tactical preview of Sundays clash.

Team News

Well start off with the home team here. Goalkeeper and captain Lola Gallardo would be expected to start between the sticks. However, Atletis backline has chopped and changed a fair amount at the start of this season, with Merel Van Dongen, Xènia Pérez and Carmen Menayo all starting as CBs for Atleti in a variety of combinations as they look to find their preferred combination.

Additionally, Atletis fullbacks have varied somewhat, with new signing RB Ana-Maria Crnogorčević starting one of the games in the three-day turnaround game against Villarreal. However, the most common combination has been Andrea Medina at LB and Ainhoa Moraza at RB.

In midfield, Atleti have also changed somewhat throughout the season, with Sonia Majarin starting every game as a deeper midfielder and Leicy Santos starting as the 10 playing behind the striker. However, its that third midfielder that has changed a fair amount, with Estefania Banini starting there in two of the four games but also new signing Vilde Bøe Risa from Manchester United and Gabriela Garcia starting in the second deeper midfield role.

Then comes Atletis front line. The mainstay has been new signing Sheila Guijarro, who has begun every game as the sole striker. However, Atleti have several options in the wide players and on the left, they have gone with either Rasheedat Ajibade or Estefania Banini and on the right, they have used Marta Cardona, Eva Navarro and Ana-Maria Crnogorčević.

Then comes the reigning European champions. In goal, they have split game time between Catalina Coll and Sandra Paños. The defensive line has varied massively throughout the season to date, with nobody having started every game; however, Ona Battle at LB and Lucy Bronze at RB has been a recurring theme of their lineup and has a big part to do with the success they have been able to have.

The CBs, however, have changed somewhat with Mapi León, Irene Paredes, Marta Torrejon, and Jana Fernández earning starts; however, I would suggest that León and Paredes is their best partnership and has proved most effective this season and last season as well.

Then comes the midfield, where Barca have an embarrassment of riches, having tended to favour Ingrid Engen at the base of their midfield three and then predominantly Patricia Guijarro playing on the left of the midfield. While on the right, it has tended to be Aitani Bonmatí. With England international Keira Walsh only just returning from injury so has had limited game time coming into this game.

In the forward line, they have generally deployed Caroline Graham Hansen on the right wing, Clàudia Pina on the left and captain Alexia Putellas through the middle.

Barcelonas Wide Overloads

Barcelona this season have dominated possession, averaging 68.25% per game. On average, Atlético Madrid has 53.5% possession per game this season; however, in their game against Levante, whose style is the closest to Barcelonas in terms of quality of squad and style of play, Levante dominated the ball 64-36. As such, this will be the case again this season. Now, one of the main reasons that Barcelona can dominate the ball is through these wide overloads.

Above is an excellent example of the way that Barcelona look to stretch the field horizontally. They are playing with six players across the opposition defensive line. In the above example, you have Mapi León on the ball, who has pushed forwards on the ball into midfield. Then, from left to right, you have Clàudia Pina, Ona Battle, Patricia Guijarro, Alexia Putellas, Aitani Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen.

Now, this is dangerous for several reasons. First, it should always give them a forward pass, often to a wide player, as opponents rarely match Barca with six defenders, so it would force at least one midfielder to drop in and help the defensive line. Second, Barcelona are so efficient in their combination play that they can receive the ball with their back to goal, link each other, and then play some short, sharp combinations with movement that looks like clockwork to cause opponents nightmares.