Barcelona lifted their 29th La Liga title on Sunday evening, beating their rivals Real Madrid.
It’s been a phenomenal season for Hansi Flick’s side. The Blaugrana have now won 18 from 18 at home, and could end the campaign on 100 points.
Their La Liga season has been almost perfect, but once again, they failed to deliver in the Champions League. For Flick, it’s about taking this side to the next level. Dominating Europe has to be their next aim, after winning their third La Liga title in four years.
In this article, we’ll cover
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
It’s very clear that Barcelona’s attack has been far from an issue this season. In La Liga, they’ve scored more goals, created more chances, and had more shots than any other side.
In reality, they top the charts in almost every attacking metric there is.
There’s little Barcelona can change in terms of their attacking output to go to the next level. They have pace and dribbling ability out wide, clinical finishers in attack, and No.10s willing to run into the box from deep.
It’s a method that works, and Flick won’t be looking to alter that too much. In the Champions League, it was a similar story for Barcelona.
The La Liga giants were knocked out in the quarter-final stage, but once again, it wasn’t their attack that let them down. Averaging 2.67 goals per game from 1.94 Expected Goals, finding the back of the net was no issue.
They might have got away with it in La Liga, but it’s the other end of the pitch that’s been letting them down.
Flick’s high line costing them
Flick sets his Barcelona side up to play very aggressively. It doesn’t matter if it’s Getafe at home or Paris Saint-Germain away, Barcelona will press high up the pitch, committing plenty of bodies forward.
As a result, there is a lot of space left in behind for the opposition to transition into. The full-backs play high up the pitch to join in the attack, and the centre-backs sit on the halfway line, or even higher, building play from deep.
This led to defensive frailties, conceding 1.67 goals per game. They also conceded 0.19 xG per match from fast breaks, a significantly high figure considering the amount of possession they had per game.
Flick’s side are open in transition, and that’s been a key reason for their struggles in Europe. When you come up against strong transitional sides, such as PSG, you’re always going to struggle when playing such a high line and expansive game.
Barcelona’s style at the moment is too expansive for Europe. They’ve failed to reach a final in over 10 years, and Flick is going to have to tinker with his ways in order to achieve success in the Champions League.
Joan Garcia’s data speaks volumes
Joan Garcia has prevented 8.29 goals in La Liga this season, ranking him first. Interestingly, Wojciech Szczesny also ranks seventh, meaning Barcelona’s goalkeepers have been hard at work.
In simpler terms, Barcelona are, perhaps, conceding fewer goals than they should have in La Liga. Garcia’s performances have made Barcelona’s defensive solidity look greater than it is, showing their vulnerabilities at the back.
Garcia hasn’t faced a large number of shots this season, but when Barcelona do concede opportunities, they’re usually high-quality chances.
Tightening up at the back will be key for Flick if he wants to deliver Champions League success. Your goalkeeper being ranked so highly for goals prevented when you’re such a dominant side isn’t a good thing, and it’s clear to see where their problems lie.
Barcelona are only getting better
As mentioned, there are areas in which Barcelona can improve in order to go to the next level. But there’s no doubt they will naturally show signs of improvement over the coming years.
Some of Barcelona’s strongest performers this season have been young, up-and-coming talents, and it’s scary to think that they are yet to reach their full potential. Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, Fermin Lopez, Pedri, and Marc Casado have all played over 20 times in La Liga this season. All six players are 23 or under.
There are also the likes of Gavi, Roony Bardghji, and Marc Bernal who will be pushing for more regular opportunities next season, so it’s exciting times for Barcelona supporters.
As a result of their young, exciting squad, Flick might not have to change too much for Barcelona to achieve success in Europe. As their squad becomes more experienced, they’ll naturally go to the next level, and it’s only a matter of time before Barcelona are competing for Champions League titles once again.