FC Barcelona have spent much of the season forcing opponents to adapt to them rather than the other way around. Hansi Flick’s side have become increasingly difficult to unsettle because their strengths are no longer confined to one phase of play. They attack with width and movement, press aggressively after losing possession and have gradually tightened the defensive details that occasionally exposed them earlier in the campaign.
That wider improvement has now been acknowledged by Alaves coach Quique Sanchez Flores ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Spotify Camp Nou. According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261030/1004245091/quique-sanchez-flores-no-veo-grietas-barca.html), speaking before the match, Sanchez Flores admitted he had struggled to identify an obvious weakness in Barcelona’s game. He said:
**“I haven’t found any cracks, but that doesn’t mean one can’t be opened tomorrow.”**
The Alavés coach described Barca as a benchmark side both domestically and in Europe, proving how firmly established some of Flick’s tactical principles have become.
Sanchez Flores was particularly complimentary about Barcelona’s positioning in possession and the progress made defensively stating that:
**“Barça play well. They position themselves well in attack and have improved their defensive patterns.”**
That assessment also reveals the scale of the challenge facing Alaves. Sanchez Flores believes his side will still have chances, but admitted they will need to be extremely precise while giving Barcelona as little as possible at the other end. In other words, the margin for error will be tiny.
Alaves arrive without having played their scheduled Copa del Rey fixture after it was postponed, but Sánchez Flores insisted the interruption has not altered his planned starting XI. His focus instead has been on restoring the patterns that previously allowed his team to compete at a higher level.
Praise from an opposing coach is flattering, but it can also disguise the danger of the fixture. Barcelona will be expected to dominate possession and territory, which means patience will matter. Alavés are unlikely to arrive at Camp Nou interested in making the game open, and Flick’s side may have to work through long spells against a compact defensive block.
The encouraging part is that Barça now have more than one route to hurt teams. They can overload wide areas, attack through midfield or recover the ball high enough to create chances before an opponent resets. Sanchez Flores says he cannot find a crack and it is Barcelona’s job is to make sure he does not leave Camp Nou having discovered one.