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- Barcelona Corner Defence Weaknesses & Fabio Celestini Tactics At FC Basel 2024/2025
Barcelona Corner Defence Weaknesses & Fabio Celestini Tactics At FC Basel 2024/2025
Today, we have a set-piece analysis of Barcelona's corner defence weaknesses along with a head coach analysis of Fabio Celestini's tactics at FC Basel helping the Swiss giants ascend back to the top of their domestic league.
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Today’s TFA Posts ⚽
On Wednesday, the world’s attention turns to the UEFA Champions League semi-final match between Barcelona and Inter Milan.
In a challenging match like this, both teams need to focus on all possible details that could determine the superiority of one over the other.
Undoubtedly, set-pieces are among the most crucial of these factors.
Barcelona’s set-piece statistics are relatively good, as they have conceded the fewest goals from corner kicks in La Liga (three goals) and rank third in the league for the lowest expected goals (xG) conceded from set-pieces, with 6.03.
Nevertheless, Hansi Flick‘s side has recently struggled to defend against corner kicks across competitions, notably in their matches against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
This means that opponents have started to decode their defensive scheme recently.
In this analysis, we will explain that their problem is tactical and individual, too.
We should mention that Inter Milan is the most scoring team from corners in Serie A, with eight goals so far.
They also scored two goals against Bayern Munich from corners in their last UEFA Champions League match.
This tactical analysis will be a set-piece analysis about Barcelona’s weaknesses in defending corner tactics, which should be solved before facing Inter Milan.
The Swiss Super League will begin its final stretch of the season this weekend, as the league splits into two groups: the championship and relegation groups, which will start with the top and bottom six teams, respectively.
With only five games to go, it’s Basel who lead the pack with a six-point lead and a massive goal difference advantage on second-placed Servette, who they will meet to open the championship group round this Sunday.
Basel haven’t won the league title since the 2016/17 season, an eight-year drought which is the longest in the club’s history since the 22-year spell without a title between their wins in 1980 and 2002.
Not only is it their longest drought, but FCB even hit rock bottom as far as the Swiss top flight goes, not too long ago, as they sat in last place at one point during last year’s campaign.
It was then, in fact, when they brought in their current manager, former Switzerland international Fabio Celestini, who has sparked a Xabi Alonso-esque renaissance with the team, steering them from fighting relegation to now being on the cusp of a league title in just over 18 months.
In this tactical and team analysis, we will look at Basel’s transformation this season from a period in the doldrums back into a dominant force in Swiss football and a potential title-winning side.
TFA Archives 📆
Before Barcelona face Inter in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg tonight, check out our post-match tactical analysis of their most recent game—a Copa del Rey Final win over Real Madrid!
Inter defeated Bayern Munich in the quarter-final to earn their place in tonight’s semi-final versus Barcelona—check out our tactical analysis of Inter’s quarter-final second-leg clash with Bayern here!
Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal as PSG took a win away from their semi-final first-leg trip to Arsenal last night—we analysed Dembélé’s false nine role and how it dismantled Stuttgart earlier this season!
