Barcelona and Hansi Flick usher in the dawn of a bold new era

It felt like a victory that could be remembered as year zero for Barcelona when they next enjoy a period of sustained success.

“This kind of match will never be forgotten,” said Raphinha, the team’s captain and hat-trick hero. It wasn’t just about winning 4-1 against tough Champions League opposition, but about how they won, who delivered the performance, and who they defeated. In the first half especially, Barcelona adopted a comically aggressive high defensive line, reminiscent of the legendary Netherlands team Johan Cruyff played for 50 years ago and the Barcelona side he coached 30 years ago.

Barcelona's win was achieved with nine players from La Masia, including Dani Olmo, their only major summer signing. And the opponent? Bayern Munich—the team Pep Guardiola famously moved to, the team that had historically dominated Barcelona, and the team that humiliated them 8-2 just four years ago.

Barcelona may have only avenged that defeat by 50 percent, but that was enough to spark scenes of pure jubilation in the stands. This victory will surely be remembered as one of the most significant during their temporary stint at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc.
Facing Barcelona at the Camp Nou was often considered daunting due to its famously 'big pitch.' But that was mostly an illusion; UEFA’s pitch size regulations are quite limited. The Camp Nou simply appeared bigger on TV because of its vastness and the vertical camera angle. More crucially, Barcelona stretched the field geometrically with their play, controlling space both with and without the ball.

The Olympic Stadium creates a different illusion. Being a converted athletics venue, there’s a yawning 50-yard gap between the goal and the nearest supporters, emphasizing how removed they are from the action. And often, there’s no outfield player in an entire half of the pitch. Barcelona has long employed a high defensive line, but this season, they’ve pushed it to new extremes.

That shouldn’t be surprising, given the identity of their manager. Hansi Flick, the man who oversaw Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona and their subsequent European triumph, is now in charge. His Bayern side revolutionized defensive positioning with their aggressive interpretation of the offside rule. They seemed vulnerable to easy counterattacks but played with enough cohesion to step up or drop back at the right moments.

Flick’s approach at Barcelona is even more daring, with less experienced defenders and Inaki Peña, a relatively untested goalkeeper, between the posts. But the philosophy remains the same, as Raphinha explained: “We knew that the further away we could keep the game from our goal, the better it would be for us.”

Statistics from Europe’s top five leagues this season reveal that Barcelona are playing almost a different game. They lead the pack in catching opponents offside and rank near the top in through-balls played behind the defense. In essence, Barcelona are leaving space behind them at one end while exploiting it at the other.

Through-balls played and offsides won from domestic league matches, 2024-25:

• Through-balls played: Barcelona ranks near the top of Europe’s top five leagues in terms of through-balls played behind opposition defenses, capitalizing on space to unlock opposing teams and create scoring opportunities.

• Offsides won: Defensively, Barcelona also leads in catching opponents offside more frequently than any other team. This is a direct result of their ultra-high defensive line, forcing opponents into mistakes as they attempt to counter-attack into the space left behind.

To highlight the risks of such an approach, the only team to have played more through-balls than Barcelona this season is Bayern.

Yet, Barcelona refused to compromise. Their defenders pushed so high up the pitch that at times they were nearly on top of the central midfielders, creating an almost 6-0-4 formation...

The match was encapsulated in the opening minute. Just 20 seconds in, Barcelona's defensive line surged forward, catching several Bayern players offside. Despite undoubtedly being warned about this in pre-match analysis, Bayern appeared shocked by the intensity of Barcelona's aggressive approach when they faced it firsthand.

This led to a Manuel Neuer long ball aimed at no one, resulting in a turnover of possession. Barcelona capitalized swiftly, launching a quick attack with Raphinha breaking in behind the defense.

Bayern's man-marking system was evident, as the closest player to Raphinha was central midfielder Joshua Kimmich, while the defensive line was positioned even farther back.

Raphinha stole the show, scoring a hat-trick while wearing the captain’s armband. His second goal saw him cut inside from the wing before finishing, while his hat-trick goal combined elements of both his earlier strikes.

However, it was his opening goal that best encapsulated his role this season. Although occasionally positioned out wide, Raphinha has thrived as a central No. 10, making runs off Robert Lewandowski and breaking in behind the defense.