Barcelona fail to exploit tactical ploy during Real Betis draw

Barcelona are currently in the midst of a difficult run of form. Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Real Betis is the fourth time in five La Liga matches that they have dropped points, and with Real Madrid defeating Girona later in the today, their lead at the top of the standings is now down to two points (and they have played a game more).

It was an underwhelming performance from Barcelona at the Benito Villamarin, and curiously, one area that they failed to exploit is their ability to catch opposition teams offside. Hansi Flick’s high-line tactic has allowed the Catalans to be extremely strict in defence, although it did not work out in Seville.

As per Marca, Barcelona failed to catch Betis offside on a single occasion during Saturday’s match – it is the first time that this has happened in a game since Flick’s arrival during the summer.

Clearly there is work to be done for Flick on the training ground, although he does not have much of a turnaround as Barcelona are back in action on Wednesday as they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.