Three conclusions from Barcelona 5-1 Real Betis

Barcelona have made scoring five goals look so easy this season that anything less than that now seems disappointing.

After the famous ‘Handy’ After beating Real Madrid at the weekend, they took on Real Betis in a cup knockout clash last night and ensured that the visitors suffered much the same fate.

Hansi Flick’s men again surpassed their rival with five goals, this time with Gavi, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde scoring.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men simply had no chance given the form Barcelona were in and their only consolation came from a late penalty that former Barcelona star Vitor Roque sloppily converted.

Barça Universal brings you three conclusions from Barcelona 5-1 Real Betis.

Ultimate domain

Barcelona’s starting line-up against Real Betis on Wednesday night caught the eye and it was unclear what tactic Hansi Flick had in mind.

Playing with an extra midfielder, two wingers and no central striker, the plan seemed ambiguous at first, but the way Barcelona inflicted repeated damage The Green and White He demonstrated the superiority that technical play provides.

The Catalans absolutely dominated from start to finish, creating opportunities in virtually every attack and advancing with regularity.

What made the display more special was the sheer quality that every player on the field exuded, especially in terms of combination play, spatial awareness and build-up sequences.

Pedri and Frenkie de Jong ensured that Marc Casado’s absence was not felt as they both put in stellar performances as a double pivot. Meanwhile, Gavi and Dani Olmo shone in forward midfield and were regularly involved in combinations outside the box.

Adding to that the magic of Lamine Yamal on the left, Raphinha’s tireless display on the right and Jules Kounde’s outstanding performance at right back only helped Barcelona show why they are the best on their day.

The victory, in many ways, was Barcelona’s most dominant victory in recent times, as they did not seem to be in trouble at any point. They had possession, control and were the ones who dictated the flow of the game from start to finish.

The false nine experiment

The biggest surprise in Flick’s line-up that night was his decision to deploy Dani Olmo instead of Lewandowski, and the first thought behind the decision was that the Euro winner would play as a false nine.

In fact, that was the plan Flick had in mind and the results of his “false nine experiment” couldn’t be more gratifying.

Olmo was a pain for the Real Betis defense, who simply had no idea how to counter his presence.

His awareness of when to move forward and when to retreat made him appear in all the right areas, and The Verdiblancos’ The defense simply couldn’t decode his moves or guard him on the night.

In 90 minutes, Olmo accumulated two assists, made two shots on goal, hit the post once and made two key passes. He was regularly involved in the build-up and had 72 touches to his name.

With Barcelona lacking a capable back-up for Lewandowski, the false nine approach could be what Flick needed to ensure the Polish striker rests when needed. After all, the results of your bet could not be more positive.

Flick’s perfect rotations

Barcelona’s 5-1 victory over Manuel Pellegrini’s team was fundamental in securing a place in the quarterfinals of the competition for the maroon team. The result only makes the victory sweeter.

Achieving such a dominant score and winning in a must-win game while performing all the right rotations is no mean feat, and Hansi Flick deserves all the credit for the same.

For starters, he didn’t go all out in fielding his best XI that night and prioritized the players who needed the full 90 minutes by resting Robert Lewandowski, Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde.

At the time when the game was reasonably close, he brought out Raphinha, who has been overworked overall this season, and Ronald Araujo, who has just returned from injury.

Less than ten minutes later, he ensured that midfield pillars Gavi and Pedri were taken to rest and recover ahead of the next match, ensuring that they did not play the full 90 minutes. Finally, even minutes later he took out Lamine Yamal.

Towards the end of the match, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo were the only genuine starters still on the pitch and it’s safe to say that Flick fulfilled his role that night to perfection.