This data is taken from games between these teams and Barcelona in 2010. Says it all!
Barca v Arsenal
Barca won 3:1
We were told constantly before the game that Arsenal against Barcelona was a clash of two sides who play football ‘the right way’ – short, quick passes from excellent technical players comfortable in possession. And that proved to be correct, although this graph shows a stark contrast between the sides.
Xavi’s dominance on the field of play transfers to an incredible dominance on this graph, with Sergio Busquets not far behind. The fact that Barcelona have the top 8 players in this graph rather sums up the way the game went.
Barca v Inter
Barca won 1:0
Even taking into account the fact that it’s Barcelona we’re dealing with, these passing statistics really are quite incredible.
Only the two players who didn’t complete the game – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Abidal – break the pattern that every Barcelona player completed more passes than every Inter player.The graph again shows the incredible influence Xavi has on games, and it’s getting to the point where it would be a huge shock if he played in a game and didn’t complete by far and away the most number of passes.
What's with the Barca obsession on this site? Does no-one else play good football????
ReplyDeleteHaven't you worked it out yet?
ReplyDelete"Good Football" - yes. But not like Barca!
Well, if your graph is correct in it's numbers....
ReplyDeleteInter v Barca - 20/04/10
Xavi - 93 sucessful passes.
Busquets - 73 successful passes.
Pique - 56 successful passess.
FINAL SCORE: Inter Milan 3 Barcelona 1
Hmmmmm.....
Data taken from UEFA.
ReplyDeleteBarca deoesn't always win. But in respect of the competition this game data is part of, Inter won on aggregate. In the game the data is taken from Barca won.
The point is that for several years now BArca has been producing this sort of data and they are seldom beaten. Barca regularly beats the best with the passing game they play. The analysis of their peformance make sit clear why they are so successful.
I prefer the passing game. Barca is the best exponent of it.
If you doubt the the power of the sample stats above, have a look at the most recent ManU v Barca game. Watch the post match interview with the ManU coach - he is in no doubt why they were beaten. They didn;t come close and they too are a wonderful team.
The stats on this match closely track those given by way of example in this post.
There is no "Hmmm" in this. Not much more I can say on it. Do the analysis yourself. End of this post for me.
Not arguing with the data. But if its from UEFA they have messed up. Barca, I agree did win 1-0 on the 28th April, not on the 20th which these stats purport to come from. Inter won that match 3-1.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubting Barca are the best passing team on the planet. Just seems a bit strange out of all the matches that they do win that they should focus on a match they lost! :-)
Maybe that's the point though? Who knows with UEFA.
Attached link is the report of the game in question on that date.
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/matches/season=2010/round=2000031/match=2000487/postmatch/report/index.html
I accept the data as well. UEFA is an authorative source on these matters.
ReplyDeleteBarca win far more than they loose, playing the system and style of play they are known for in more recent years.
But when we speak of the "possession game" we are talking about aspiring to the sort of possession dominance evidenced in these to samples (and so many more from my research).
I selected the match data, less for the result than the lessons held within the data. The most recent result against ManU followed precisely the same pattern and result is as expected. The post match interview with Ferguson said so much. He is an excellent coach with a first rate roster and yet, his team were crushed.
The SBS Foster analysis on TWG isa very useful piece of work as it gives some deeper understanding of the reasons for the Barca dominance.
The FFA wants us to head in BArca's direction (if I can out it that way) - well that's a tall order and will take generations of footballers and coaches - and Berger says that.
Aside from belting Barca off the park (Real Madrid style), you can bet the best of Europe's best clubs will be working on how to reduce the possession rate. SHould be interesting.
Thanks for the interest.
I'd also be interested to know how many of these successful passes instigated an attacking move. I'd hazard not a lot considering the players who are making them. Xavi, Busquets, Pique, Alves..... I'd imagine there is an awful lot of short passes and shifting of the play from left to right and back again, and playing the much-loved 'triangles'. What's interesting is that these players are keeping possession for large periods (and making short successful passes) in a match in which they don't win. That is interesting..... keeping possession whilst chasing a result and bot resporting to desperate tactics. Now that is playing the right way! :-)
ReplyDelete