The Barcelona and Athletic head to heads have been insightful encounters over the past year.
Ronald Koeman and Marcelino are in their second seasons with their respective clubs, and both are trying to find a way forward having inherited challenging circumstances.
Regardless, the expectation at both storied clubs is to achieve results and respect in front of proud supporters who have little patience for rebuilding. So far, neither has been truly convincing, but the methods have been interesting to observe.
Last season, when trophies were on the line, Athletic first beat Barcelona 3-2 in the Supercopa in one of Marcelino’s first games with the club, with a game plan that was similar to what we saw in the 1-1 draw on Saturday.