Barcelona are proud of their style and although football seems to be moving into a phase where positions are more fluid, formation is still a big discussion at the club. Famed for setting up in a 4-3-3, every now and then Johan Cruyff’s famed 3-4-3 gets mentioned around Camp Nou.
This summer Barcelona have strengthened significantly, particularly in the centre of defence. Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde will now compete with Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo for spots.
Yet the full-back position looks decidedly weaker, at the moment. Although Araujo and Kounde have shown they can play at right-back, as has Sergi Roberto, the only natural options are Sergino Dest and Jordi Alba.
It has led some to wonder whether manager Xavi Hernandez might opt for three central defenders instead. Marca carried his response, when he was asked about the possibility.
“Yes, in fact, in many parts of last season we used it when we were losing. Yes, it’s a formation that can be quite risky because you leave a lot of space in behind. In certain moments it might be used. It’s a challenge for this season. At the moment we are working on a 4-3-3 but it’s one of our options yes.”
¿Se plantea Xavi jugar con defensa de 3? 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/uPzKOrjStf
— MARCA (@marca) July 29, 2022
