Barcelona recorded their eighth successive win across all competitions last weekend in the Catalan derby, but as manager Hansi Flick said, the team did not deserve to win given their performance.
While it is the three points that matter at the end, the truth of the matter is that they were dominated against both Villarreal and Espanyol, and that Joan Garcia played a massive role on both nights.
As they step into the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, their goal must thus be to put up a performance to be proud of rather than just scrape out wins after being dominated.
Their first game in the competition – the semifinal- is against Athletic Club who have struggled for goals all season. They have one win in their last five games and are coming off a dry 1-1 draw against Osasuna at the weekend.
Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Athletic Club.
First step towards the first trophy
The Spanish Super Cup, being scheduled for the beginning of January, makes it a unique event on many fronts.
For starters, it is the first big tournament for Barcelona in 2026, testing the team after the halfway point in the season when the squad is reasonably seasoned. At the same time, it hands them the golden chance of landing the first trophy of the season.
Historically, doing well in the Spanish Super Cup has usually boded well for Barcelona later in the season and the correlation is not complex. After all, the confidence boost a piece of silverware can hand at this point in the season is massive.
As Barcelona enter the field in the semifinal of the event tomorrow, there is clearly only one agenda that will be on the minds of every player – that the trophy is just 180 minutes away.
A win against Athletic Club, after all, will place Barcelona in the final and just one step away from the title – one that will be massive for the morale of the dressing room. The team, thus, must come out all guns firing.
Abandoning the unyielding experiment
Raphinha of FC Barcelona
Raphinha as the No. 10 did not work vs Espanyol. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Over the past few months, Hansi Flick has desperately tried to make the experiment of Raphinha starting in attacking midfield, especially because it works out well on paper.
Playing the Brazilian centrally, in theory, places him in more direct sight of the goal. Moreover, his movements behind the striker can create openings in the defence, all while enabling Marcus Rashford to start and stretch the play on the left wing.
The overall result, however, in practice, has not been encouraging and has even led to some of Raphinha’s least effective performances for Barcelona. The weekend clash against Espanyol was only the latest on the list.
With a trophy now on the line and less room for error, it is high time Flick bids the experiment goodbye and switches back to the system that has worked for the team in recent times.
As was the situation after the substitutions in the Catalan derby, Barcelona operates better with a natural mediapunta in Dani Olmo or Fermin Lopez starting. Raphinha should return to the left flank with Lamine Yamal on the right side.
At centre-forward, the manager has a massive call to make as to whether Ferran Torres or Robert Lewandowski should start.
Thinking back to the last game against Athletic Club, Lewandowski opened the scoring on the night, but Ferran Torres also netted a brace. The decision, thus, will purely depend on the manager’s plans.
The midfield decision
Hansi Flick opted to start Pedri on the bench in the derby last weekend, anticipating the hectic schedule ahead. He felt the Canary Islander was better rested for the bigger games, and the Spanish Super Cup counts as one of them.
In all probability, Pedri will return to the starting lineup tomorrow night as one of the holding midfielders and playmakers. The manager, thus, faces a dilemma as to whom to drop.
Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia have started for Barcelona in midfield of late, and their dynamic has been decent. However, both players do better alongside Pedri, even individually.
The De Jong-Pedri pivot was a mainstay in the initial part of the season and became famous for its immaculate technical ability and chemistry. In later days, the Garcia-Pedri pivot predominated as it provided better defensive stability and work-rate.
With Pedri returning, Flick faces the question as to whether Garcia or De Jong is to be dropped, and the decision could well prove pivotal for the result. After all, the midfield is where Barcelona dominate the game.