DOMINATE Possession & xG with Barca's Tiki-Taka

Welcome guys to my new tactic emulation.

I created 4 versions of Guardiola's tactics (2008-2009 tactic, 2010-11 tactic, a second version of 2010-2011 tactic and a strikerless tactic).

In 2008-2009 Messi played as right forward, Henry on the left and Samuel Eto'o as center forward (but he often exchanged position with Henry).

But in 2010-11 Messi played as center forward in a new role, the False 9 and I believe that was the period when Barca played the best football.

I tested my tactics with Barcelona B, the second formation of Barcelona, which plays in a lower Spanish division.

I tried using all those tactics during my season with Barcelona B, and I always dominated the game, maintaining possession (in most of games with 60% or more) and dominating XG, always much higher than the opponent.

The team instructions just change slightly between the tactics, and only when our team has the ball, while in the transition and out of possession phase the instructions do not change.

Let's see the instructions:

2008-2009 's tactic

Mentality: Positive
Tactic: 4-1-2-2-1 (4-3-3 M wide)
In possession: attacking width: fairly narrow; play out of defense, much shorter passing, lower tempo, low crosses, work ball into box, dribble less.
In transition: counter-press, hold shape, distribute to center backs, take short kicks
Out of possession: High-Press, much higher defensive line, pressing much more often, prevent short gk distribution, step up more, trap outside.

2010-11 's tactic

Tactic: 4-1-2-2-1 (4-3-3 M wide)
Mentality: Positive
In Possession: attacking width: fairly narrow; play out of defense, much shorter passing, lower tempo, low crosses, work ball into box, dribble less.
In transition: counter-press, hold shape, distribute to center backs, take short kicks
Out of possession: High-Press, much higher defensive line, pressing much more often, prevent short gk distribution, step up more, trap outside.

2010-11's tactic Version 2

Tactic: 4-1-2--2-1 (4-3-3 M wide)
Mentality: Positive
In Possession: attacking width: fairly narrow, play out of defense, overlap left, overlap right, shorter passing, slightly lower tempo, low crosses, work ball into box, dribble less.
In transition: counter-press, hold shape, distribute to center backs, take short kicks
Out of possession: High-Press, much higher defensive line, pressing much more often, prevent short gk distribution, step up more, trap outside.

Strikerless tactic 2011

Tactic: 4-1-2-3-0
Mentality: Positive
In Possession: attacking width: narrow, play out of defense, much shorter passing, lower tempo, low crosses, work ball into box, dribble less
In transition: counter press, hold shape, distribute to center backs
Out of possession: high press, much higher defensive line, pressing much more often, prevent short gk distribution, drop off more, trap inside.

---

Roles and postions change obviously from one tactic to another.

In the first version, 2008-2009, I tried to emulate the role of Dani Alves as a complete wing-back (support) while on the other side, Abidal was a wing-back (support).

In the second tactic, 2010-11, both are wing-backs.

In the strikerless tactic, on the right we have a complete wing-back (attack) and a full back (support).

The central defenders are one BPD and one CD.

The midfield trio (Toure/ Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta) was very difficult to create, I chose for the first two tactics an Half-back (but you can use also a defensive midfielder) for Toure-Busquests's role (Half Back allows the midfielder to receive the ball from the defenders and play it better).

In the strikerless tactic a deep lying-playmaker (support), for Xavi's role I used a Deep-Lying Playmaker (support) in the first two tactics and a roaming playmaker in the strikerless tactic to create more beautiful game and possession, for Iniesta's role I chose an AP (attack) in all the three tatics but it can be switched to a mezzala (attack) as I did in the second version of the 2010-11 's tactic.

The 3 forwards are two inside forwards (support) and a complete forward (support, because he drops down to receive the ball from midfielders) in the first tactic (Eto'o, Henry, Messi), two inside forwards (support) and a false 9 (Messi, support) in the second and in the strikerless tactic, we have 3 forwards in the same line, 2 inside forwards (support) and a shadow striker (attack). For this last role, the shadow striker is more realistic, but a trequartista would adapt more to Football Manager Match Engine.

This is all for my tactic.

You can find the analysis in italian here: https://assoanalisti.it/analisi-tattica-barcellona-pep-guardiola/

If you want to see highlights of my tactic, check out the video below.

A hug from Your Tikitaka Master.