“We are Barça and we want to play our football**,”** said Hansi Flick after the draw against Club Brugge, a game in which the Catalans’ defensive line showed its most vulnerable version.
The Barcelona coach’s message was that he would win or lose, but always with his ideas. This season, the team is not executing the high defensive line and the offside trap with the same level of success as last season.
Putting in the efforts to correct things
And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Flick is working to correct the problems that have stopped Barcelona from being as effective as they were in their defensive work last season.
To work on defensive structure, Flick and one of his assistants, Heiko Westermann, who is mainly responsible for this area, make use of the giant screen installed at the training pitch. They project videos to review and correct actions that have occurred.
The adjustments made with the defensive line are mainly about when to step up or drop back and how to maintain proper body positioning.
One of the conclusions reached by the coaching staff regarding defensive vulnerability this season is that the ball must be pressed much more aggressively.
Hansi Flick, Barcelona manager
Barcelona have not been at their best defensively. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
A clear example is Kylian Mbappe’s goal in El Clasico, where Jude Bellingham had several seconds to think and shape the assist.
The root of the defensive problems goes beyond the last line and is also linked to pressing or losing the ball in sensitive zones.
The goalkeepers play their part as well. Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny are the goalkeepers in the five major European leagues who have made the most defensive actions outside the penalty area. The system requires them to remain highly alert.
The goalkeepers are handled by Jose Ramon de la Fuente, the specialist coach, who proposes extensive analytical and video-based work. Flick always pays attention and oversees it.
After 16 official matches last season, Barcelona had caught opponents offside 105 times. In comparison, the number has dropped to 66. They have also conceded 22 goals so far this term, six more than they had at this stage in 2024/25.
So, it is important for Flick to iron out the issues and work is being done behind the scenes to address that.