Three talking points ahead of Elche vs Barcelona | La Liga MD 22 | OneFootball

Barcelona secured a top-eight UEFA Champions League finish with their midweek win over FC Copenhagen, and thereby reduced the strain of playing two additional games in the month ahead.

However, they do not face any immediate respite on their schedule as they return to action in La Liga less than 72 hours after their last game – this time against Elche at Estadio Martinez Valero.

Losing to Real Sociedad earlier this month meant Barcelona allowed Real Madrid within one point of them in the league table. They did win over Real Oviedo after the disaster in the Basque country, but even that game was anything but convincing.

The primary objective tomorrow, thus, must be to get back to winning convincingly, especially against a tricky opponent who even took points off Real Madrid earlier this season.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Elche vs Barcelona.

Breathing space in midfield

If there was one factor complicating Barcelona’s clash against FC Copenhagen midweek, it was the team’s situation in midfield with both Pedri and Frenkie de Jong out.

In fact, the lack of a natural central midfielder even saw them suffer in the first half of the game with a lack of complete control, and only Marc Bernal’s introduction after the break helped regain the cohesive feeling on the field.

While Pedri continues to be unavailable tomorrow, the Dutchman will be back for the Blaugrana, which comes as a massive boost for Hansi Flick. After all, he was only out through an accumulation of yellow cards in Europe.

With De Jong back, Flick’s options in midfield open up once again, and it will be interesting to see what dynamic he chooses to opt for on the night.

The Dutchman will be an undisputed starter and the one pulling the strings and dictating the tempo on the night, handing the team serious control in the middle of the field.

Flick’s only dilemma, therefore, is whether to hand Eric Garcia, Dani Olmo, or Marc Bernal the second place in the pivot. 

A battle for control

Eder Sarabia’s Elche are no pushovers. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

While Elche may indeed sit outside the top ten in the league standings, they have been one of the league’s most impressive teams when compared on other parameters.

For starters, fighting in the mid-table is already a major step up from where the team were last season, but what makes them stand out distinctively is the style of football they embrace and advocate.

Under Eder Sarabia, Elche have become a mini-Barcelona in terms of their approach as they look to dominate the possession, press high and defend with a high-line – all ideas from Flick’s book.

Over halfway into the season, they boast of a staggering possession average of 58.9% with 86.7% accurate passes and a 13% goal conversion ratio.

In comparison, leaders Barcelona have an average possession of 68.8%, 89.4% accurate passes, and a conversion rate of 14%.

While Barcelona’s superior possession is understandable given the player profiles they possess, it is remarkable that Elche are neck-to-neck on so many other parameters that show their dominance and control of the ball.

Tomorrow’s clash, hence, will not just be a tussle for goals but a serious battle for control as both sides will not look to abandon their philosophy. Even when they met earlier this season, they finished the game with nearly equal possession.

The battle for control of the proceedings, needless to say, will dictate the result tomorrow, and Barcelona’s midfield must step up in particular. After all, it will not be easy to keep up with such intensity and pressure without Pedri.

A needed tweak in defence

It is well known that Barcelona and Flick’s tactics prioritise attacking power over defensive stability, often providing the first at the cost of the latter.

There is, however, no excuse for the team continually going down early and fighting for a comeback – something the manager openly admitted to in his pre-game press conference.

As the season progresses, the importance of clean sheets and defensive stability grows paramount, and moving Eric Garcia back to central defence may solve a part of that problem.

While it is true that Barcelona have not had a single go-to centre-back pairing this season, the Pau Cubarsi-Eric Garcia combination has been the closest to looking like a comfortable pair.

They do have their deficiencies, particularly in defending against aerial threats, but they have shown that they have what it takes to stay on the same wavelength and complement each other’s flaws.

Moving Garcia back to central defence tomorrow, thus, may be a solution that Flick considers, especially with De Jong back in midfield. Needless to say, a serious focus must be placed on improving the team’s numbers at the back.