Second gear: A tactical analysis of Barçelona’s win over Leganés

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty ImagesMatches come thick and fast these days. After the weekend win at Mallorca, Barcelona returned to action with a 2-0 victory over a tepid Leganés. Quique Setién’s side didn’t produce a vintage performance by any means, but they did enough to seal a result, with goals from Ansu Fati and Lionel Messi.

Setién lined the team up in the same 4-3-3 setup he used against Mallorca, although Arturo Vidal and Frenkie de Jong made way for Arthur and Ivan Rakiti\u0107. That midfield choice was uninspiring; Vidal and de Jong had attempted to occupy opposition defenders, Rakiti\u0107 and Arthur don’t offer the same threat. Up ahead, Martin Braithwaite made way for Barça’s…