In the space of two weeks Barcelona’s air of invincibility has been punctured decisively by AC Milan and Real Madrid. The Catalan giants are still likely to win La Liga, given the yawning gap between themselves and their two Madrid rivals at the top of the table.

But they have major deficiencies to iron out with an eye to the future.

"Two" many attacking full backs                                                                                                     

Eric Abidal, the man who lifted the 2011 Champions League trophy, has been a huge loss for Barcelona as he returns from cancer surgery. The French left-back’s conservatism in terms of forward forays counter-balanced the attacking instincts of Dani Alves during the Pep Guardiola era.

Whenever the Brazilian bombed forward, Abidal slotted in alongside Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique to create a virtual back three which made Real Madrid-style counter-attacking football less potent.

Abidal had to undergo liver surgery in March 2012 and it was no coincidence that Chelsea defeated Barcelona via quick counter-attacks in the Champions League a month later.

In contrast current first choice left-back Jordi Alba does not provide that level of security. A world-class wing-back who had the added advantage of coming through La Masia, he possesses the same attacking instincts as Alves, leaving Pique and Puyol hopelessly exposed on both flanks.

Pressing

When Guardiola was in charge, Barcelona had a very specific system defensively. There was an onus on every outfield player to press relentlessly for six seconds in order to recapture possession as quickly as possible. This six second rule masked defensive deficiencies, especially as Barcelona play such a high line and gave opposition midfielders and defenders less time to pick a pass.

But intense pressing has been discarded under Tito Vilanova and Jordi Roura, putting the back line under severe strain.

 

Fabregas and Sanchez

Cesc Fabregas’s signing in the summer of 2011 was heralded as the return of the prodigal son. But he has been underwhelming since his arrival, leaving the team unbalanced.

Much of Barcelona’s success under Guardiola was built around the central axis of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. While Iniesta has often been played on the flank where he still excels, it removes an important partnership from the midfield especially with Fabregas seemingly unsure of his exact role on the field.

Lionel Messi’s position as a false nine means he also occupies part of the territory that the ex-Arsenal man would normally stalk.

Alexis Sanchez has also been a major disappointment for Barcelona. The winger’s struggles highlight the problems that Barcelona have when they attempt to recruit players unaccustomed to the tiki taka system that the Catalan’s core players are imbibed with from a young age. Pacy and direct, the Chilean seems ill-suited to Barcelona’s style of play.

David Villa’s relegation to chronic bench-warmer since he suffered a broken leg in December 2011 has been baffling. Apart from Messi, the Spain striker is the only member of Barcelona’s squad who can be considered to be consistently world class in front of goal.

Absent manager

Although it is reported that Tito Vilanova remains in daily contact with his Barcelona staff from the New York hospital where he is undergoing cancer treatment, the situation is not ideal.

While managing from afar in La Liga is not a major issue due to the level of opposition and Barcelona’s brilliance, Vilanova has been missed in the two big games since he was forced from the frontline.

In the big games, Barcelona need their manager to shift tactics mid-game and for all of Roura’s efforts, he is not suited to that role.