Barcelona are a third of the way into the season and Hansi Flick’s side can make a convincing case for being one of the best teams in Europe.
Flick appears to have settled on his preferred starting XI, which was partly shaped by players who arrived there out of necessity but have now done enough to convince the German of the necessity of staying on.
Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Javi and Fermin Lopez have all recovered from recent injuries. Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are on their way back and Eric Garcia will be back in two weeks at the latest.
So how will Flick deal with a full squad of first-team players who all want to play? What does his best formation look like?
Ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade – where some fringe players could look to prove themselves – we take a look.
Pena has played every game since No.1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a season-ending knee injury, and there is no sign that will change in the foreseeable future.
Barcelona decided to sign Szczesny as a reserve. Flick believed he was losing a world-class goalkeeper in Ter Stegen but also a veteran who has had a huge influence in terms of leadership in a young dressing room. Signing the 34-year-old Szczesny made perfect sense in the manager’s eyes, and some at the club believe the Pole will need little time to become first choice.
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What does Szczesny’s signing with Barcelona mean for Iñaki Pena?
Pena’s shaky performance in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Deportivo Alaves has sparked concern among fans, with sources close to the dressing room – who, like everyone mentioned in this article, have asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships – saying there has been a change. At Target it wouldn’t be a big surprise. But Fleck had other plans.
“Iñaki will play against Sevilla and Bayern. I can confirm that.” “There is no reason for us to change; He was very good in goal.
Since then, Pena has regained the German’s confidence. The 25-year-old was impressive in the 4-0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. “I don’t know what people are saying outside, but inside the club, I felt complete confidence from my manager, my teammates and everyone throughout the season, and I’m very happy about that,” Pena told Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo. week.
Pena’s sitting would have damaged the confidence of the academy graduate. Instead, he is now completely loyal to his manager – a bold call from Flick that has proven to be true.
Pena was impressive against Real Madrid (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
No discussion here. Kounde is Barcelona’s undisputed right-back after the French defender finally agreed that it was in the best interest of all parties for him to move from centre-back.
At the start of the 2023-24 season, the 25-year-old spoke to then-manager Xavi and told him he felt his best position was at centre-back. But time and continuous improvement have shown that he is much better on the right side.
He has become one of the most consistent players this campaign and has been a rock at the back. Lamin Yamal described him as “the best right-back in the world” in a comment on Kounde’s Instagram post.
It is also true that Kounde does not have much competition for the position. 18-year-old La Masia product Hector Forte is the only natural alternative and is a long way from offering what Conde does.
Central defence: Pau Cobarci and Inigo Martinez (substitutes: Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo).
Flick had no choice but to build his defense around Kuparsi and Martinez when the season started, as they were the only centre-back pairing available since last season.
But three months on, they have every right to be considered among the best partnerships in Europe. Martinez is the coordinator of Barcelona’s famous offside trap under Flick while Cobarci gives them unparalleled vision when it comes to build-up play.
“Inigo Martinez is a key piece and a true leader in this team,” Flick said after his team’s victory over Espanyol at the weekend. He also praised Cobarci, saying: “The way Pau plays at his age is unbelievable.”
Martinez has become a leader in Barcelona’s defense (Harry Langer/Devodi Images via Getty Images)
The former Germany and Bayern Munich coach will have more players to deal with soon, with Araujo and Christensen close to returning from long-term injuries. Former Manchester City defender Garcia should be included in that group too, as the return of Gavi and De Jong means he will not have to be used as an emergency midfielder.
Araujo is expected to return from his hamstring injury against Christensen. But as much as the 25-year-old Uruguayan has been a valuable asset over the past few years, he cannot see himself as an immediate starter; He will have to fight for his place.
Those close to the dressing room say Flick is very clear that Coparci and Martinez are his partnership at the moment, and that he has no plans to fix what isn’t broken. Players on the outside are challenged to get back inside.
Similar situation for Condé. Baldi owns the position, partly through his performance but also because of the lack of competition.
Barcelona was unable to rely on Balde for most of last season due to a serious hamstring injury. Now the 21-year-old is back after a carefully monitored recovery plan and Flick is managing his workload very carefully.
Former Barcelona Athletic left-back (reserve team) Martin, 22, is his replacement, but poses no real threat to the Spain international.
Midfielder: Mark Casado (substitute: Frenkie de Jong)
Few would have expected it in the summer, but Casado is Flick’s starting midfielder, far ahead of De Jong.
In a way, this is beneficial for Barcelona after De Jong’s long-term absence due to an ankle injury. The 27-year-old Dutchman cannot be rushed into play and will need to rest again before he can give his best.
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Casado was the answer, but he also seems to be better suited to Flick’s style. In a team that punishes opponents with direct transitions, Casado’s short, quick passes are ideal, and the 21-year-old perhaps offers more in this sense than a ball-carrier like De Jong. He is the perfect foil for Pedri and Olmo as well, as they are given more free roles in midfield while Casado remains disciplined in terms of his position.
La Masia’s latest gem, Casado’s performance also means there is less pressure on De Jong and Javi to start immediately after recovering. But will De Jong be able to take Casado’s place soon? There are serious doubts about that in the dressing room.
Attacking midfielders: Pedri and Dani Olmo (substitutes: Fermin Lopez, Javi)
Pedri was among Barcelona’s most important players this season. The 21-year-old midfielder has left behind injury problems under Flick and is playing his best football since joining from Las Palmas four years ago. No one gets close to him like that.
Since returning from an ACL injury last month, Javi has been used in Pedri’s position for the few minutes he has played. But for now, he’s expected to play a secondary role as he gets back up to speed.
Pedri is showing his best form yet for Barcelona (Manuel Quemadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
The other position in midfield was occupied by Olmo. The impact of the €60m (£77m; £50m at current exchange rates) summer signing has been so impressive that you wouldn’t know he left La Masia at 16 – he has scored five goals in five La Liga appearances. He missed the first match. Two when he was not registered and four others due to injury.
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Behind him is last season’s sensation, Fermin. The 21-year-old impressed in an attacking midfield role last season, before being part of Spain’s European Championship and Olympic gold medal-winning sides in the summer (he was player of the tournament in France). But that center is seriously crowded in Barcelona now.
Firmin extended his contract last week, signing a new contract until 2029. He can adapt to multiple positions in attack, which is good news considering Olmo, Pedri and the fit Gavi will be ahead of him in the pecking order.
How do you replace the best attacking trio in Europe’s top five leagues, with 34 goals between them? Answer: You can’t. Firstly because of their quality, but also because there are no other strikers who pose a real threat.
Yamal is the undisputed star of this team. The 17-year-old winger has taken over his podium since winning Euro 2024 with Spain in the summer, scoring six goals and providing eight assists in 15 matches.
On the left, you have the player who has improved the most this season: Rafinha. He has contributed 20 goals so far and his off-the-ball commitment fits Flick’s high-pressing style like a glove.
Barcelona’s attacking trio were in unstoppable form (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Then there is only one Lewandowski. No one on the team has his skill set or ability to score goals. The 36-year-old looks like the best version of his old self again under Flick, who he also worked with at Bayern.
Behind them, there are few high-quality alternatives. Torres is injured now but has been disappointing when available, although Flick has given him chances. Fati is fourth in the standings after failing to make an impact on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion last season. Victor (22 years old) joined from Girona this summer after spending last season with Barcelona’s second team, but he is only a marginal player.
Perhaps the biggest threat to the front line is the progression of a midfielder like Fermin or Olmo. But why change the winning formula?
(Top image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
