Christensen’s Midfield Experiment: A Tactical Masterstroke for Barcelona

Xavi and his coaching staff left Vitoria highly satisfied with Christensen’s performance as a central midfielder (‘6’) and are considering giving him a more extended role. The outstanding display by Cubarsí as a central defender, coupled with the progress of Gündogan and Pedri in advanced positions, played a pivotal role in enabling Christensen to thrive in the midfield against Alavés. The quest to find a suitable replacement for Sergio Busquets has been challenging for Xavi, and the recent adjustment of deploying Christensen in midfield yielded promising results.

In Xavi’s current tactical setup, there isn’t a lone defensive midfielder during the offensive phase; instead, two players position themselves ahead of the three pure defenders. The right central midfielder plays a more positional role, while the one on the left enjoys more freedom to contribute to the attack. Despite several experiments, Xavi has struggled to find a midfield duo that complements each other seamlessly. Could Christensen and De Jong be the solution?

Tactical Balance Frenkie De Jong typically occupies the left central midfield role, and on the right, players like Gundo, Gavi, and Pedri have featured. However, advancing the former Chelsea defender had not been attempted until the Alavés match.

Christensen’s role against Alavés was clear: monitor his area diligently and allow offensive forays for De Jong, Pedri, and Gündogan. Gündogan scored a goal and provided an assist, while Pedri also contributed with a crucial assist. Andreas played the role of shielding and freeing up other midfielders exceptionally well, balancing the team as instructed by the coaching staff.

Positive Stats Christensen’s role wasn’t to replicate the best version of Busquets; instead, he served as a bodyguard for the other midfielders. His statistics from the game reflect his effective contribution: 55 touches, 48 successful passes, 2 ball recoveries, 7 losses, and 4 accurate long passes. While not flashy, Christensen’s work was efficient. Xavi didn’t confirm that Christensen would continue as the ‘6’, but he acknowledged it as a viable option for the remaining part of the season. Any inventive variation at this stage of the season could assist the team in finding its peak performance.

Xavi didn’t revolutionize the team in Vitoria, but he did strike a chord that might help balance the team. While it’s more common for midfielders to transition to defenders, in the Rijkaard era, two central defenders like Edmilson and Rafa Márquez excelled when the Dutchman decided to advance their positions for midfield stability.

Fitting the Pieces The emergence of Cubarsí, Araujo’s leadership, Koundé’s versatility, and Iñigo’s ball-playing skills suggest that Xavi has enough central defenders for the backline. However, a defensive midfielder is required to allow Gündogan and Pedri to maintain their excellent form closer to the opposition’s area.

In the upcoming matches, it remains to be seen if the tactical move of using Christensen as the ‘6’ will continue, but the Vitoria test was passed with flying colors. This strategic shift might evolve into Plan A rather than an emergency alternative.