When FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick started using Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin as a central defensive partnership, it seemed as though the two Spaniards had been brought together more out of necessity than anything else.
However, with every passing game, the duo are starting to feel less like a temporary solution and more like a partnership Barcelona can genuinely trust. Injuries and absences in the back line may have helped open the door, but the way both defenders have responded is making this look like much more than a short-term fix.
According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20260322/1004157009/cubarsi-gerard-martin-tandem-altos-vuelos-numeros-cracks.html), the pair have formed the heart of Barca’s defence in the last five matches and have stood out not only for their defending, but also for how they help Flick’s team build from the back. That balance matters, especially in a system that asks defenders to do much more than simply clear danger.
Cubarsi’s numbers are especially striking. The report says he has started 36 of Barcelona’s 39 official matches this season and has picked up only three yellow cards in that time. In La Liga, he also leads the entire division for successful passes with 1,931, comfortably ahead of every other player.
That says plenty about his role. From a Barca perspective, Cubarsi is not just a young centre-back surviving at elite level, he is already becoming one of the clearest organisers of the team’s football from deep.
Gerard Martin’s figures are just as impressive in a different way. He has started 26 of Barcelona’s 40 games this season, after starting 22 of 45 last year, and has now completed five straight full matches as the left-sided centre-back.
The standout number is in the air. Gerard, standing at 1.86 metres, currently has the best aerial duel success rate in La Liga at 71.43 per cent. For a Barca defender, that kind of dominance adds something the team have not always had enough of.
He also made an attacking contribution in the move for Fermin Lopez’s goal against Newcastle, with Gerard starting it from the back by breaking two lines with his pass into Raphinha. This is exactly what Barcelona need from their centre-backs.
Together, the pair have formed an unlikely duo that is moving mountains for Hansi Flick. We will have to wait and see whether the German manager continues with them as a partnership even after Jules Kounde returns.