FC Barcelona played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League. Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres both found the net for Hansi Flick’s men, with Fermin Lopez registering a couple of sublime assists.
The worrying part, however, was that the Catalan club trailed three times, and Brugge cut through them with ease. It almost felt as if a defensive line was absent, and it was open season for the Belgian side’s attack.
The defensive structure, not for the first time this season, was found wanting, with players like Jules Kounde struggling to recapture last season’s form.
Hansi Flick was asked what he thought went wrong against Brugge and, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, he said:
“The midfield didn’t press enough. We lost a lot of balls, and it wasn’t easy for the back line to defend their quick attacks. When there’s no intensity, you have no chance in the Champions League. Last year, when you looked at the offside goals, they were by one or two meters. This year it’s costing us, we’re suffering. There were no excuses, we played with the same eleven. Everyone knows we’re not at our best, but I always try to stay positive. Maybe after the break Raphinha, Joan Garcia, and Pedri will return, and Olmo and Lewandowski will be at another level.”
It is clear Flick believes the return of his star players and everyone operating at 100% is the solution to resurrect the faltering defence. In many ways, he is not wrong.
However, the existing options must show more quality in the press up front. There was some improvement in the second half last night, but it still is not enough.
It remains to be seen how long Flick will take to sort out Barcelona’s defensive issues. The sooner it happens, the better for their season. Let us wait and see how things play out.
