Played nine. Won nine. Barcelona have made the perfect start to their La Liga defence.
Hansi Flick’s men maintained their rampant start to the campaign with a resounding 5-2 win at high-flying Real Betis on Saturday evening. Putting five past Betis is no mean feat, particularly in Seville. Manuel Pellegrini’s men had shipped just two goals in four home games prior to the Barcelona clash.
Of course, the Blaugrana were helped by Facundo Bernal’s second-half dismissal over the weekend. They capitalised with ruthless efficiency. Even so, a five-goal salvo took their goal haul for the season to 39, at least 16 more than any other team in the division.
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They’re score at a rate of 4.3 goals per game. Opponents know what they’re getting when they face Barcelona. For the most part, it’s a pummelling that would make Daniel Dubois’ dismantling of Fabio Wardley look positively tame.
Barcelona’s new-look attack
The main change has come on the frontline. The departure of a striker of Robert Lewandowski’s calibre would hurt any team. On the contrary, Barcelona have improved considerably. Lewandowski is more of the traditional number nine. A focal point to a side that needs to maximise his goalscoring capability.
Naturally, it made Barcelona a touch more one dimensional. That’s not to say Lewandowski is a bad striker. On the contrary, he’s been one of the best in the modern game. However, teams need to set up accordingly in order to bring out the best in the Polish hitman.
And while they failed to bring in their first-choice replacement as Atletico Madrid steadfastly refused to budge on their Julian Alvarez stance, Barcelona still added bodies to the attack. Gabriel Jesus, Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon all made the move to Spotify Camp Nou, joining from Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United, respectively.
Jesus is a more rounded frontman, willing to drift across the forward line in order to drag markers out of position to open up space for teammates to exploit. Similarly, Raphinha’s redeployment as a leading striker has had a similarly effective impact. This is particularly important given the wingers at Flick’s disposal.
Lamine Yamal likes to cut inside from the right flank onto his favoured left foot. Gordon does so from the opposite wing. Having a striker like Lewandowski leading the charge clogs up the attack. Now, there is space for both wingers to attack the space afforded to them when Jesus or Raphinha lead the charge.
With that, it’s no surprise that Yamal (36) and Gordon (15) rank first and second, respectively, for completed take ons of all Barcelona players. And with pace to burn in the final third, Barcelona are able to spring forward at the drop of a hat when they do win the ball back.
Rodri’s impact
They are able to break forward at speed, safe in the knowledge that there is an experienced defensive anchor to protect the defence. One criticism of Flick has routinely been the high defensive line. It’s one that can be exposed by nippy attacking forwards.
It means that Barcelona have still conceded nine goals in La Liga this season. They’ve kept just one clean sheet in their last seven competitive outings. The defensive issues is something that was picked up on by Xavi Espart following the Real Betis win. “We’re an attacking team, but I feel we still concede too many goals,” the 19-year-old said.
Espart has a point. They’re a team that should not be shipping as many goals as they do. However, it’s an area that has strengthened markedly with the addition of Rodri. Last season, Flick relied on Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong to anchor the team.
Now, they have the standard bearer for holding midfielders protecting the defence. As such, the number of shots conceded per game has dropped from 9.1 to 6.8. The addition of Rodri gives the attacking stars greater freedom to really hurt teams.
Fermin Lopez (1.7 to 2.2) and Dani Olmo (2.1 to 3.9) have both seen increases to the number of chances created per 90 in La Liga this season. Both attacking players can push forward to hurt teams, safe in the knowledge there is a defensive safety net to mop up behind them.
Barcelona have also enjoyed minor increases in both possession and pass accuracy with Rodri in the side. They enjoy greater dominance following the 2026 World Cup winner’s capture, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
PSG trip a true test
Both the change in attacking style, combined with Rodri’s rapid integration is vital both domestically and on the continent. Barcelona face Paris Saint-Germain in another blockbuster Champions League clash in midweek. The French side came away from Manchester City with all the spoils following a rampant opening half hour in an eventual 4-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of the game. Yes, PSG were imperious from the outset. They dominated in midfield and punished City accordingly. Yet, after the break, City boss Enzo Maresca introduced Ayyoub Bouaddi to give his side greater stability in a key area. The Premier League side were arguably the better team after the introduction of the Moroccan.
That will have given Flick food for thought. Barcelona may struggle to keep teams out, but if they can keep the ball away from PSG’s midfield maestros, starving them of possession, then the Spanish giants should feel confident about replicating City’s second-half display at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.
One player leaving – Lewandowski – and another coming in – Rodri – has completely transformed Barcelona in both setup and style. And it’s had a positive impact for Flick’s men, who’ll be gunning for both domestic and continental glory this season.