Hansi Flick has spearheaded Barcelona’s revolution this season. Despite results wavering in La Liga, the Catalan giants have notably improved in several aspects of their gameplay, with victories in big games the most glaring example.
This article delves into the aspects driving Barcelona’s long-awaited resurgence.
Trapping teams in transition
Barcelona have caught opponents offside more than 100 times this season. Playing a high line this early in their managerial is arguably one of the most challenging routes a coach can take, but Flick has ticked several boxes to ensure its success.
While Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have done a stellar job maintaining line discipline, the team’s intentions as a whole have particularly aided the high line.
Proactive positioning and relentless pressing by Barça forces the opposition to play under pressure in their defensive half, often resulting in rushed long balls or misplaced passes. By pressing high, our entire defensive line can push up, shrinking the field and creating a compact space. This was especially effective against Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu last year.
Another reason why the offside trap has yielded so much success is Barça’s unparalleled ability to play out from the back. Cubarsi and Martinez are two of the best ball-playing center-backs on the block and their distribution has regularly baited forwards this campaign.
For example, by playing short and controlled passes at the back, opponents are lured into pressing, leaving their forwards in advanced positions where they can be caught offside. Barça illustrated this best against Bayern Munich.
Admittedly after October, cracks began to enlarge in midfield, and goals were conceded more frequently, despite Cubarsi and Martinez maintaining high levels.
To rectify these flaws, Flick reverted to a three-man midfield which increased numerical superiority in the center, limiting the time and space opponents have to play through balls behind the defense. Gavi’s inclusion against Atletico Madrid was a game-changer in this respect.
Profiling players to perfection
For a while, Barça’s players were almost like birds in glass cages — able to see the skies but only from afar. Until the day Hansi Flick shattered the glass, and reminded his team what it felt like to soar.
The most tell-tale sign of Flick’s effective usage of players is the success of our front line. With Yamal cutting inside from the right to create opportunities, Lewandowski thriving as a clinical poacher in the center, and Raphinha exploiting vacant spaces with his dynamic runs, each player’s unique profile perfectly complements the others.
Raphinha is free to showcase his scoring, creativity, and off-ball dynamism, rather than being confined to one aspect of his skill set. Moreover, at Leeds, he always proved himself as a major counter-attacking threat, which is once again on display now.
This highlights a coach who avoids rigid systems, allowing players to excel without the system having to collapse.
Other examples include Pedri and Casado. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, for instance, primarily emphasizes Pedri’s abilities in the final third to fit his tactical preferences. In contrast, Flick enables Pedri to influence every phase of play.
Similarly, Casado thrives under Barça’s compact setup, which encourages him to be aggressive both in his passing and ball-winning.
Tactical Flexibility
The biggest improvement Flick has made over his predecessor is crafting a pliable team. If things aren’t going his way, Flick is able to seamlessly shake things up after, something we’ve seen time and time again in big matches this season.
Against Real Madrid in La Liga last year, Barça’s high-voltage approach in the first half exposed the team. As such, Flick reverted to more control, bringing on Frenkie de Jong and completely turning the tide of the game.
Likewise, against Borussia Dortmund Flick was smart enough to alternate strategies mid-game. Dortmund pressed aggressively, focusing on our right side where we usually build. Flick countered smartly by shifting the buildup to the left, exploiting the spaces they left open. And despite controlling the game in the first half, playing directly after the break yielded Barça the win.
Finally, against Real Madrid in the Super Cup we witnessed Barça attack relentlessly in the first half with a good mix of verticality and control before shutting up shop once they went a man down. Defending with their bodies on the line, Barça were unfazed giving up possession and refusing to crumble.
Countering against the game state is crucial for any team aiming to win the Champions League, and it’s an area this team has improved significantly. Bayern, Villarreal, Mallorca—it’s been a vital tool, especially when the team gets physically overwhelmed and loses control.
