Hi Everyone,
Happy New Year!
In this edition of the Soccer Fitness Gols Video Blog, I discuss the recent El Classico match between Real Madrid (the reigning 2016 and 2017 UEFA Champions League champions and 2017 La Liga champions) and Barcelona, on December 23rd, 2017.
Barcelona won this match 3-0 and dominated from the outset. But how did they do it?
In this video I explain how they used low “passing centrality” while in possession; that is, involving as many players as possible in building their attacks (as opposed to high “passing centrality”, which would constitute using only 2 or 3 players in each attack).
Modeled here by Soccer Fitness Research Associate and Strength/Conditioning Coach Abdul Zafar, centrality can either help or hinder a team’s success, depending on the particular strategy they decide to employ. In this match, the period between the 45th and 55th minutes – during which Barcelona scored their first and second goals and essentially sealed the result of the match – was the time during which Barcelona’s centrality was the lowest, and conversely, Real Madrid’s was the highest.
I hope you like this video and please feel free to share your thoughts and comments!
