Three takeaways 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 ‘Manita’ win over Real Madrid at the weekend, they took on Real Betis last night in a knockout cup clash and ensured that the visitors suffer largely the same fate.

Hansi Flick’s men again put five goals past their opponents, this time with Gavi, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde all getting on the scoresheet.

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

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

Ultimate dominance

Barcelona’s starting lineup against Real Betis on Wednesday night raised eyebrows and it was unclear what tactics Hansi Flick had in mind.

Playing with an extra midfielder, two wingers and no central striker, the plan looked ambiguous at the start but the manner in which Barcelona inflicted repeated damage on Los Verdiblancos proved the superiority technical play provides.

The Catalans were utterly dominant from start to finish, creating chances in virtually every attack and pushing forward in numbers regularly.

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

Pedri and Frenkie de Jong ensured that Marc Casado’s absence was not felt as they both dished out stellar displays as the double pivot. Gavi and Dani Olmo, meanwhile, shone in the advanced midfield and regularly engaged in combinations outside the box.

Adding to that Lamine Yamal’s wizardry on the left, Raphinha’s tireless display on the right and Jules Kounde’s statement performance at right-back only helped Barcelona prove why they are the best in the business on their day.

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

The false-nine experiment

The biggest surprise in Flick’s lineup on the night was his decision to deploy Dani Olmo in place of Lewandowski, and the first idea the decision pointed to was that the Euro winner would play as a false-nine.

Indeed, that was the plan Flick had in mind and the results of his ‘false nine experiment’ could not be more gratifying.

Olmo was a pain to the Real Betis defence who simply did not have any clue as to how to counter his presence.

His awareness of when to push forward and when to drop back had him popping up in all the right areas, and Los Verdiblancos’ defence simply could not decode his movements or mark him on the night.

In 90 minutes, Olmo racked up two assists, had two shots on target, hit the woodwork once and provided two key passes. He was regularly involved in the buildup and had 72 touches to his name.

Given that Barcelona lack an able backup for Lewandowski, the false-nine approach could be what Flick needed to ensure the Polish striker gets rest when needed. After all, the results of his gamble could not be more positive.

Flick’s perfect rotations

Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Manuel Pellegrini’s side was essential as it booked a place in the quarterfinal of the event for the men in garnet-and-blue. The scoreline only makes the win sweeter.

To pull off such a dominant score and win in a must-win game while also pulling off all the right rotations is no mere feat, and Hansi Flick deserves all the credit for the same.

For starters, he did not go all out by deploying his best XI on the night and prioritised players who required the full 90 minutes off by resting Robert Lewandowski, Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde.

At the hour mark when the game was reasonably sealed off, he took off Raphinha who has been overworked in general this season, and Ronald Araujo who is just returning from injury.

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

Towards the end of the game, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo were the only bonafide outfield starters who were still on the field and it is safe to say that Flick played his part on the night to perfection.