Seven games into the season, and Barcelona are running away with La Liga.
Hansi Flick’s side are the only team to boast a 100% start, sweeping aside all those before them. The Blaugrana have scored 31 goals and conceded just seven in a fine start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Raphinha is the driving force for the Spanish giants. Lamine Yamal and summer signing Anthony Gordon have also played their part for Flick’s men. What’s stood out, though, is that Barcelona’s flying start to the domestic campaign has come with a change in the full-back pairing.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Last season, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde were Flick’s go-to duo at right and left-back, respectively. This season, the pair have accumulated just 183 minutes of league action between them. Balde has played just 12 minutes in Spain’s top tier this term. While previously a first-team regular, the Spaniard is struggling for game time.
Now, he’s been leapfrogged in the Barcelona pecking order by teenager Xavi Espart. Granted, the Spaniard was dropped for Joao Cancelo for wins over Racing Santander and Sevilla prior to the international break. However, that was a decision by Flick to manage Espart’s minutes.
Why Espart has leapfrogged Balde
Having struggled with a knee injury last season, Barcelona are keen to avoid a repeat this time around. Indeed, Espart was restricted to just four league outings, and one start, in the 2025/26 La Liga campaign.
This time around, Espart has jumped ahead of compatriot Balde in the pecking order. And Barcelona are all the better for the former’s rise to first-team regular. While the 2026/27 season is in its infancy, Barca have enjoyed the lion share of the ball in the opening weeks. A 68.7% possession haul is the best in La Liga and ranks second in Europe’s top five leagues.
A midfielder by trade, Espart is able to invert into midfield with ease. It means that he can slip into a double-pivot to help provide greater protection to the centre-backs if required. As such, Barcelona enjoy greater superiority in a key position. What’s been vital, though, is that his tidiness in possession means they haven’t been caught short at the back.
Espart is being dispossessed just 0.2 times per 90 in La Liga this season. The teenager is incredibly press resistant, largely due to his midfield heritage. What this does mean, though, is that Barcelona lacks a key attacking outlet without Balde.
Barcelona missing Balde’s attacking influence?
The 22-year-old’s approach is significantly different to Espart, in that he favours to burn down the flank, maximising his pace to both provide an additional wide option and recover defensively when he does get caught out of position. As such, it’s no surprise that Balde was dispossessed more times per 90 last season (0.9) than Espart is in 2026/27.
In turn, however, Balde provided the width that opened up space to hurt teams. He created 1.1 chances per 90 in La Liga last season. Espart is creating 0.8 per 90 in Spain’s top tier this term.
Conversely, while Flick has taken a potential offensive option out of the side, in bringing Espart into the XI, he’s made Barcelona a trickier team to break down. One of the key criticisms aimed at Flick has been the implementation of the high defensive line. It leaves Barcelona at risk of being caught out from quick transitions.
As effective as Balde was going forward, there were times where his lack of defensive awareness meant Barcelona were overrun by opponents. With Espart, this isn’t the case. The versatile teen ranks fifth for total tackles (20) in La Liga this season. By comparison, Balde managed just 35 tackles across 28 league outings last season.
A more resolute Blaugrana
What that means is that Barcelona are more solid at the back. The number of shots conceded per game has dropped from 9.1 to 7.3. Granted, it’s from a significantly smaller sample size, but a positive step nonetheless.
The signing of 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri has also contributed towards a more resolute Barcelona. Even so, Espart has played an unheralded role in Bacelona’s flying start to the season. His deployment grants the attacking players greater freedom to hurt opponents, and Raphinha, Gordon and Yamal have capitalised superbly.
While it’s resulted in a change to the way Barcelona operate, the squad have adjusted seamlessly to Flick’s tactical alteration. The forward players are receiving their flowers for their fine final third showings. It’s high time Espart, among others, earn praise for their respective roles in Barcelona 100% record to kick off the campaign.