FC Barcelona are enduring a slump in form in recent weeks, with results not going their way. They also lost the season’s first El Clasico to Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid in a very disappointing display.
Last night, the Catalan club travelled to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League. In a thoroughly entertaining game, it finished 3-3 after 90 minutes, with both teams sharing the spoils.
One major concern that was evident against Brugge, and has existed all season, is Barcelona’s defensive line, or the lack of it. There seems to be no coordination between the players to execute the offside trap properly.
Hansi Flick was asked about it post-match, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, but he remained adamant about making his team play a certain way. He said:
“We’re Barça and we want to play our football. We can talk about changing everything, but I’m not that kind of coach. We’ll play with our DNA. We won’t sit back and play on the counter to win 1-0. We can defend the final third or stick to our philosophy. We’ll do things better.”
If anyone was contemplating whether Hansi Flick would change the way Barcelona play, this is a clear answer. The German coach is unlikely to waver from his principles.
The high line is a defensive weapon that served Barcelona well last season. However, teams have started to analyse how to break the trap and are succeeding at doing so this season.
What Flick needs to ensure in training is that the defensive structure becomes potent again. The return of injured players could go a long way towards this, and we will have to wait and see how things play out.
