Barcelona’s forwards deliberately space their runs out, equidistant to each other, when they break into the box. That makes it very hard to defend against because of how spread out and the unorthodox nature of Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo’s runs.

Against Real Valladolid, Raphinha played as an inside forward from the left, pushing closer to Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo was drifting back and forth behind Raphinha and Lewandowski, but he would often end up on the far side, attacking the back post.

Teams normally instruct their players to curve their runs to arrive into certain spaces when the ball is played into the box, but these three Barcelona players were making a conscious effort to not only arrive into certain spaces but also maintain a specific distance between each other.

That gray line in Figure 1.1 is the run a player would normally make if they were in Dani Olmo’s position. Robert Lewandowski attacks the near post, and then Olmo comes in behind him to the penalty spot for the pass once Raphinha receives the ball.

But Dani Olmo curves his run to the outside, even though he is unmarked. It’s deliberate movement to remain equidistant to Lewandowski, with Raphinha holding his run to remain equidistant. All three work in tandem. Dani Olmo attacks the far post at an angle in towards the goal.

As Real Valladolid collapse on the ball, if they are outnumbered, it is impossible for them to mark all three players at once. You have to pay close attention to the run on the far post because it is wider than normal.

Match: Barcelona 7-0 Real Valladolid, 31 August 2024