Barcelona 2023/24: Detecting the defensive deficiencies damaging their LaLiga title charge – scout report

Having cantered to a 27^th La Liga title last season, Barcelona not only did so at the expense of Real Madrids short period of dominance but also broke records in the process. Their defensive solidity was ever-present last season, as they managed a club-best 20 league goals conceded  beating the figures recorded by historic Barcelona sides under the likes of Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola. With their first league title since the loss of Lionel Messi, Xavi may have imagined he had potentially found a possible blueprint for the Catalan giants to continue their superiority for years to come.

In contrast, the start to this 23/24 season has been one of mixed emotions and new challenges his side has had to face. The loss of key personnel, both in the summer window and through long-term injury, has significantly hurt their ability to remain as compact and resilient in front of goal. Despite only losing two games so far this campaign, those losses, crucially coming against title contenders in fierce rivals Real Madrid and Girona, mean Barcelona currently sit seven points adrift in fourth place.

This tactical analysis and scout report will provide an analysis of the frailties that have arisen within the Barcelona defensive structure and how Xavis side must overcome this tricky period to re-establish their defensive tactics and solidity, which propelled them to becoming one of the most formidable defensive units in Europe last year.

Was last season an anomaly?

An important aspect to address would be the fact that Barcelonas achievements last year, whilst remarkable and dominant, would be increasingly difficult to replicate. While removing the occurrence of their own goals conceded by Barcelona, their 22/23 campaign saw them concede a total of 17 goals from an astounding figure of 33.6 xG from their opposition. This stark number clearly represents a significant overperformance on Barcas end, suggesting that whilst their defence was exceptional last year, an element of luck was also present in keeping the ball out of the net.

Taking this into account, when looking at the expected data thus far in La Liga, we can observe a contrasting notion about the strength of their defensive unit. While unfortunate circumstances have occurred, such as first-choice keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen being sidelined for a prolonged period, Barcelona has conceded 18 league goals from an xG total of 17.43. Although this figure is much more representative compared to the outlier we observed last season, it can also help paint the picture of Barcelonas defensive regression and support some of their problems we will address later.

How they have set up in possession

When addressing the natural occurrence of players coming and going within the summer transfer window, Xavi has tinkered with his sides setup due to the various roles and personnel he has introduced. Despite his experimentation with several different formations, including the 4-2-3-1 and even the 3-4-1-2 against Real Madrid, Barcelona have most often used their classic 4-3-3, which was observed in their recent defeat to Girona.

As shown above, whilst Barcelona is in possession, they often begin their build-up play in the defensive third, shaping up in a 2-3-5. This starts with the two central defenders. Usually, Jules Kounde/ Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen interact with their lone single pivot, dropping deeper to receive the ball and find passing outlets. New addition Joao Cancelo can be found alternating between a true full-back position and an inverted central role in order to allow for variety in their play. On the other hand, left-back Alejandro Balde is given much more freedom as a result of Cancelos movement on the flank, allowing for him to be the aggressive wingback holding width on the left, which in turn allows wide forwards like Joao Felix the opportunity to cause havoc in the half spaces and make movements into the penalty area.

Despite their overload in midfield, the progressive carrying abilities and propensity to bypass the opponent press cause Barcelonas central defenders to ignore their passing outlets in the middle third. Their athletic ability and comfortability in possession of the ball allow them to perform driving runs to facilitate Xavis quicker and more direct style.

Defensive shape

In contrast