9 times possession lost: Barcelona defender’s woes continue after horrendous display against Sevilla – Opinion | OneFootball

Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona were in full flow last season, setting a template for how attacking football should be played. A major reason for this was the performances of players such as Raphinha, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Jules Kounde.

The Frenchman was arguably the team’s best defender last season, alongside Inigo Martinez, playing almost every game under Flick before sustaining an injury in the first leg against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final.

However, Kounde has not looked like himself since the start of the 2025/26 season. He was benched for the opening couple of games, with the German tactician opting for Eric Garcia ahead of him.

Kounde’s struggles continued last night against Sevilla, where he delivered a disappointing performance against his former side. According to Sofascore, the Frenchman was one of the team’s lowest-rated players on the pitch.

The 26-year-old played the full 90 minutes, registering an xG of 0.06 and an xA of 0.04. He made just one clearance and three tackles, was dribbled past once by a Sevilla player, and lost possession nine times.

Kounde recorded 59 touches of the ball, completing 30 of 32 passes with a 94% accuracy rate. He also produced one key pass and completed one of three attempted crosses.

Defensively, the centre-back won only four of nine ground duels and two of three aerial duels. Considering the sustained pressure from Sevilla throughout the match, he should have performed much better.

With the international break now upon us, Flick will surely admit that some Barcelona players are not performing at the same level as last season. Among them is Kounde, and from Barcelona’s perspective, it is crucial that the Frenchman returns to his best sooner rather than later.