Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 12:30 am• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk • Last update: 01:13

Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona impressed the media in Spain on Saturday in and against Seville (0-2 win). The Catalans played in a 4-2-3-1 system earlier this season, switched to a 4-3-3 system, but in the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan, Koeman opted for a 5-3-2 line-up. That was at the expense of Antoine Griezmann, but Barcelona played one of the best games of the season both defensively and offensively, it sounds everywhere. There is even a comparison with North Korea of ​​1966.

Journalist Javier Giraldo of the Catalan sports newspaper Sport is the one who brings in North Korea from 55 years ago: ‘Ronald Koeman and his eleven North Koreans’. “They were complete strangers. The first game against the Soviet Union was lost 3-0 and just when everyone was no longer taking them into account, they won the decisive game against Italy in the first phase. They were physically lord and master and a size too big for the Italians, who were passed on all sides. It became 1-0 and then one of the greatest popular legends in football emerged. Italy assured that, because all Koreans supposedly look alike, the trainer switched them all at half time and that is why they could run so fast. No one could prove it and in the quarter-finals Eusébio was able to prevent North Korea from stunting Portugal as well. ”

“No one ever knew whether the national team manager had changed all his eleven players, but in the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan it seemed as if Koeman had managed to change the mentality and the course of his team in one go,” says Giraldo. “Not only tactically, that too, but we also saw the best version of Ousmane Dembélé, Óscar Mingueza and Sergiño Dest. Footballers who were struggling with a shape crisis, did not perform well and took a huge step forward in Seville. That was also true for Sergio Busquets, suddenly he seemed the imperial football player he once was. As if Koeman had changed them all like North Korea in 1966: a new shirt and let’s play. North Korea did not win the World Cup. But they played with dignity and deserved the applause of the audience. There is a good chance that Barcelona will not win anything this season, but if they now compete as against Sevilla, they will certainly deserve applause from the supporters. ”

Top talent Ilaix Moriba’s admiration for Ronald Koeman illustrates the joy and gratitude for giving us a chance in FC Barcelona’s first ????

Posted by football zone on Saturday 27 February 2021

“The best Barcelona this season”, emphasizes Mundo Deportivo. “A great collective achievement los Azulgrana, who could have achieved a wider victory and gained credibility in the battle for the league title. The pressure that Barcelona put in the early stages, with three central defenders and two attacking backs, was very efficient. Koeman’s plan, with Dembele at the point of the attack, probably came as a surprise to Julen Lopetegui. Barcelona pushed Sevilla back in its own half. ”

“Messi and Dembele are destroying the wall of Seville,” he said Sport to read. “These are wins that are always worth more than three points. Three central defenders and Antoine Griezmann on the bench. A new change of the Dutchman, who is still looking for the right formula. And it worked. Lopetegui does not adapt. Not even to Barcelona, ​​with all the risks that entails. Koeman knew that. That’s why he gave Ousmane Dembele a much more attacking role. He enjoys like a little kid when he has room to run. That was the plan. It was just waiting for the moment. And that was found. ”

Marca first assumed that Koeman’s 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 system, depending on how it is judged, was ‘to protect Barcelona’ in southern Spain. “The reality, however, was that everyone has seen the most solid Barcelona of the entire season, opportunities were created and the opponent was silenced. This system is the best plan for this Barcelona ”, concludes Spain’s best-selling sports newspaper. “It was only Barcelona’s second time in this system. That also happened in the away game against Real Valladolid (0-3), where Barcelona also played a very complete game. ”

The Madrid sports newspaper continues the ventajas and the desventajas at a glance, the pros and cons. “Barcelona looked stronger defensively when they didn’t have the ball: Óscar Mingueza and Jordi Alba closed the flanks, just like Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, depending on the need. The two lines of four flat together meant that Seville had little space in the area where the danger had to be taken care of and eliminated itself. In this way, Barcelona as a team defends more together, there is better pressure and they can connect more defensively when necessary. ”

“Sergio Busquets’ role in Barcelona has been analyzed a thousand times. If he has to defend in the small space, he multiplies his ball conquests. If there is some space, its fit is better. But the opposite happens when he has to run or cover other teammates’ spots. In this system, Busquets has to run less and his share is greater. And you notice that. ” Dest also appears in the story of Marca in front of. “Barcelona has bought a back that can attack better than defend. Just ask Kylian Mbappé. But he played one of his best matches against Sevilla. Why? He hardly had to go back. ”

“Destroyed the fact that he didn’t have to perform his defensive duties and that was also in favor of Messi and Dembele, especially the French. Messi did help with the pressure and offered a helping hand when needed. ” The big disadvantage of this system has a name: Antoine Griezmann. He didn’t play for one minute. “He would certainly be the biggest victim of this system. On the sides, from a defensive standpoint, Dest and Alba are the most logical choices. Up front, with more dynamic vanguards and meters to be made, Griezmann cannot compete with Dembélé. Competing with Messi for a place in the team is not an issue. ”

“Koeman wins points”, he adds ASH to read. “Barcelona did exactly what Koeman had asked for: aggressiveness, concentration and efficiency. Dembéle’s other role worked, just like De Jong’s role at the time. It was one of the first ‘big days’ of Koeman as coach of Barcelona. There is not much more to win at the moment, but the Dutchman enjoyed what he saw in Seville and felt triumphant and euphoric afterwards. First of all because of his tactical decisions. But mainly because of the aggression and concentration that his players finally showed. Finally Barcelona made a stable impression from start to finish and the victory was won almost without any problems. ”

“This is the Barcelona that gives the fans new hope. In the week before the election, Koeman wins points. But Koeman has achieved a lot since his arrival in August. A lot of hard work is being done on the training courses, the physical preparation has been improved and the rejuvenation of the selection has started. And, finally, he gets the best out of his players. De Jong’s change of position is one of the great discoveries of this season. And Dembele’s role as nine in Seville was also a success. The privileges are a thing of the past, except for Messi. The players are also starting to accept it without any problems. For Koeman it is important that Barcelona does not step back. And for the time being he is convincing a large part of the socios. ”