10 lessons Barça learned from their crazy draw against Villarreal

10 lessons Barça learned from their crazy draw against Villarreal

 Luis Suárez anotó una volea en el último suspiro que rescató un milagroso punto del Estadio de La Cerámica / | LALIGA

The team slipped up at the back, Messi appeared as always & Malcom continues to plug away

The draw against Villarreal left, above all, one reasonable doubt about Barcelona: Are they as solid as they have seemed in recent weeks? The result was so unusual that it seems opportunistic to draw any definitive conclusions about an atypical game. 

It's one of those games that only happens a couple of times in a season. But the match did throw up some symptoms which, if repeated, could compromise Barça's chances of silverware this season. Above all in a competition as demanding as the Champions League, where you pay double for any error. Here are some of the lessons from the 4-4 draw against Villarreal. 

RELAXATION PENALISED 

It's a recurring sensation this season in La Liga. There are games when Barça almost win out of habit and by managing their efforts. On occasions, only the presence of Lionel Messi is enough to win games. 

On Tuesday, the No.10 didn't start. Barça moved into a 2-0 lead and could have made it three but they didn't and Villarreal came back. At times, there was a feeling that Barça were relaxing, something which doesn't happen in the Champions League, when they are more focused than ever.    

Pie de foto | AUTOR FOTO

3-5-2 KNOCKED BARÇA 

It's becoming a habit: opponents know that 3-5-2 makes Barça uncomfortable and they're using it more and more. It was the case against Espanyol and again against Villarreal. The difference was that the Yellow Submarine pressed high. And attacked Barça's centre-backs. 

Various aspects of the system penalise Barça. Firstly, the position of the Barça full-backs (very advanced) often leaves the forwards one on one against Barça's centre-backs. And the second, teams use this system to crowd the midfield and block the space inside.  

UMTITI, LEFT ON RIGHT 

Samuel Umtiti was one of those criticised after the game. Two things should be highlighted: the first is that he formed a pairing with Clement Lenglet, a left-footer like him, and he had to play on the right. And the second is that, after months out with a knee injury, he's not in his best form. 

The French defender started for his country in the international break but not in demanding games. Not like in Villarreal, who with Chukwueze and Ekambi tied Barça's defence in knots. 

PIQUE FACTOR 

This time in his absence, Gerard Pique's reputation was boosted against Villarreal. Being the only right-footed centre-back, you notice his absence. Pique's not just been a key defender for Barça this season, but he's also contributed to the good form of the other defenders alongside him. The clearest example is Lenglet, who struggled without him.  

ARTHUR'S DIP 

As against Espanyol, Arthur didn't shine against Villarreal. The Brazilian has had good games when Barça have dominated the ball but he suffers in games which are open. 

Arthur is still adapting to the rhythm of European football and Valverde knows it: he's regularly taken off in the second half. Despite not being at his best in recent games, he's still expected to play a major role between now and the end of the season.   

MALCOM'S DETERMINATION 

The Brazilian doesn't give up. He wants to be important at Barça and he's working hard. Every time he gets the chance, he does well. He's quick, direct and scores goals. Against Villarreal he produced his best 45 minutes at the club, scoring and assisting in the first half. He also did well against Espanyol when he came on as a substitute to set up Messi's clincher. 

Pie de foto | AUTOR FOTO

REACTION

It was clear again at Villarreal. Barcelona are a team with character and ambition. Even at the worst moment, after going from two up to two down, they were capable of changing the current and saving a point. 

In the 89th minute, Valverde's side were two goals down but they ended up sending a message to their rivals: they want this league. 

ALWAYS MESSI

Barça struggle to deal with the absence of Messi. This time, Valverde opted to rotate, leaving the No.10 on the bench, but he had to count on the Argentine on the home straight to secure a point. 

His 60-minute rest had one positive: being able to see Malcom on the right, his natural position. As occurs with Ousmane Dembele, the Brazilian was at his best on his preferred flank.

BALANCE THANKS TO RAKITIC

Watching games like Tuesday's, you understand why Valverde rests Rakitic so infrequently. The presence of the Croatian adds a necessary balance to the team. His positional play and his defensive work are so key. His absence was noticed against Villarreal, with Busquets unrecognisable.  

COUTINHO... PROMISE?

Coutinho is still short of the level he showed when he first joined, or even at the start of the season, but at least in the last few games there's a sensation of improvement. 

Against Villarreal he scored one and hit the post. Without Messi in the team, he took a step forward in the first 45 minutes, but dropped off after the break before being substituted.