Tiki-taka evolution has made Barca ´complete´ – Mascherano

Javier Mascherano believes Barcelona’s evolution from Pep Guardiola’s ‘tiki-taka’ philosophy has seen the Catalans become a “complete” team following the 2-1 Clasico win over Real Madrid.

In his time at Barca, Guardiola insisted on a style of play which consisted of short, simple passes, a philosophy which saw the team dazzle many opponents as they dominated possession.

Guardiola’s tactics were at times criticised, as some suggested their continuous passing occasionally lacked direction and resulted in the team distributing for the sake of it.

Under Gerardo Martino last season, many critics claimed Barca lacked identity as their transition from Guardiola’s style began, but Mascherano believes that with Luis Enrique, they have regained a purpose, highlighting Sunday’s Clasico triumph as proof.

“Football is everything, it’s not only possession,” he told Canal Plus. 

“Barcelona always has a model and we respect that because it’s what they like. 

“But football has many phases: football is pressing, suffering and using the strategies that give you many benefits.

“You have to be a complete team, as we are now.”