When approaching the latter stages of the football season, managers will begin to make tactical alterations in an attempt to get their side over the line and end on a high note. This is certainly the case for Xavi Hernández, who has been riddled with injury issues as he continues to navigate his farewell season at Barcelona. Still reeling from the loss of Busquets and his protégé Gavi being ruled out for the season, Xavi has handed the unceremonious defensive midfield role to an unlikely candidate.
Danish defensive star Andreas Christensen has recently been deployed at the base of midfield, often partnering the likes of Gündogan and de Jong in Barcelona’s double pivot — certainly more advanced than his familiar role of central defender. Christensen’s shift in position has seemingly begun to negate Barca’s defensive frailties, giving them an outside chance of both LaLiga and Champions League glory. Whilst initially only a momentary stop-gap and roll of the dice to gain results, the Dane has certainly capitalised upon their area of need, with his defensive minutes dwindling this season through the emergence of Pau Cubarsí and physicality of Ronald Araújo.
This tactical analysis and scout report will begin to highlight how Christensen has settled into the role and both his direct and indirect influences on Barcelona’s turnaround of late. Our analysis will address his importance in all stages of play, with his presence in midfield looking to play into the hands of his teammates further up the pitch and improve his sides tactics going forward.
Christensen’s positioning and ability to utilise space
Lately, we have seen Andreas Christensen utilised in more advanced positions, with Xavi looking to tackle one of his biggest issues. He has yet to find complete balance in the defensive midfield, with the technical abilities of de Jong and Gündogan being wasted in a much deeper role and summer signing Oriol Romeu failing to impress in the build-up phase. Therefore, a positional switch for Christensen has emerged as a beacon of hope and a makeshift alteration which has improved Barcelona’s overall play.
When looking at the heat map for Christensen this season, he has been much more advanced, adding an extra level of defensive support to protect his side when out of possession. Barcelona’s tactical setup often revolves around the 3-2-5 in its initial build-up phase, with Christensen forming a double pivot with the likes of de Jong or Gündogan. His natural defensive tendencies allow his partner to have more offensive freedom, allowing the likes of Pedri and Gündogan to attack between the lines and provide an extra attacking outlet in the final third.
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