Set pieces played a pivotal part in Atletico Madrid's title triumph in 2013/14. Scoring via free-kicks and corners was, Diego Simeone would say, a tool that allowed his team to compete with stronger sides.

Meanwhile, Barcelona were rarely as effective from dead-ball situations and the explanation was simple.

Atletico would spends hours working on the strategy. At the Catalan club, training time was dedicated to building attacks. Passing. Moving. Rondos. It still is, but you would not necessarily know it.

Barca are becoming increasingly reliant upon set pieces to get through games. Six of the Catalans' last seven goals have come from dead-ball situations, including both in Saturday's unconvincing 2-1 win at bottom-of-the-table Leganes.

Coach Ernesto Valverde picked four forwards for the game in Madrid. Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez started together for the first time, but the La Liga leaders still struggled to break down Leganes' five-man defence.

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After Gerard Pique had hit the post from a corner, Suarez headed home the equaliser from a Messi free-kick eight minutes into the second half.

And following another corner, substitute Arturo Vidal fired home a late winner from close range after the ball had rebounded off Leganes' Ruben Perez.

"The pitch was terrible, there was a lot of wind and they had a lot of players at the back as well," Valverde said afterwards. "I don't want it to sound like an excuse, but we found it difficult.

"By pushing and by looking for strategies, we were able to win. It was difficult. I know the play wasn't brilliant, but we are happy."

And asked about the set-pieces, he said: "I would like to have seen two goals in the top corner, but they are all worth the same."

In Barca's last away game, the 3-1 defeat at Levante, the champions' only goal came from a Messi penalty and the 4-1 win at home to Celta Vigo prior to the international break featured two fabulous free-kicks from the Argentine and another spot-kick.

Sergio Busquets, of all people, added the fourth with a long-range effort close to the end, with the game stretched.

Messi's ability to score from free-kicks and to pick out team-mates with deadly deliveries into the area is no doubt a valuable tool, but Barca's reliance upon set-pieces to get through games is also alarming.

Even on poor pitches, in windy conditions and against defensive rivals.

Against stronger sides conceding fewer fouls and with better defenders, the strategy may not prove so successful and for this team, which achieved its apogee in recent times through midfield mastery, reliance upon dead-ball situations to win matches is another sign of the dramatic decline in the play - and also the side's identity - under Valverde.