FC Barcelona’s start to the 2025/26 season has been far from ideal. The Catalan club entered the new campaign riding high after completing a domestic treble and enjoying one of their most successful seasons in recent history. However, the momentum has stalled, and their performances have dipped.
According to several football betting platforms, including Betiton, the odds on Barcelona retaining their league title have widened in recent weeks. The team’s injury problems and inconsistent displays have made them a less convincing favourite.
One major reason Hansi Flick has been unable to recapture last season’s magic is the number of injuries. Key players such as Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez have all spent time on the sidelines.
The positive news for Barcelona is that most of these players have now recovered, while Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Joan Garcia are also close to returning to full fitness. Gavi’s recovery remains a long-term process, with the midfielder still expected to miss a couple more months.
Just as the squad was beginning to regain stability, Barcelona were dealt another setback when Pedri suffered an injury last week that is likely to keep him out for around a month.
These players formed the core of Flick’s side last season, and their absences have forced the manager to make constant adjustments. As a result, he has rarely been able to field his strongest lineup this term.
Defensively, the press has not been as cohesive as it was last season. The absence of Raphinha in the front line has massively affected Barcelona in this regard, as the Brazilian often led the press during their better games last year.
Although there have been improvements in recent weeks, Hansi Flick is yet to identify his first-choice replacement for Inigo Martinez. The Spanish veteran left the club in the summer to join Al Nassr.
Pau Cubarsi is the first defender on the team sheet, but his partner is a position still up for grabs. Eric Garcia has done well in the opportunities he has received so far, and Ronald Araujo has had a mixed bag. Andreas Christensen, meanwhile, is unable to stay fit.
Jules Kounde, a protagonist last season, has been unable to string together a few good performances. Except for one or two games, he has looked a pale shadow of his former self and appears completely out of it.
With the exception of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Fermin Lopez, no other Barcelona player has performed at the level they are capable of. The collective injuries, combined with individual slumps in form, have proved a very difficult problem for Flick.
The silver lining is that these issues have arisen early in the season. It gives Flick time to fix the problems and push for a comeback in the second half.
The first thing to focus on would be to recover the players from their physical issues and get his best XI on the park again. On the other hand, players like Dani Olmo and Jules Kounde need to recover their form. Let us hope injuries stay away between now and the end of the campaign.