Three things that Hansi Flick can make out of Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Athletic Club | OneFootball

Injury concerns loom large internally in Barcelona’s camp with several key players ruled out of action against Athletic Club. On the outside, financial and registration issues leave the administration without a face to show.

Considering all the internal and external hurdles the team faces, their start to the new La Liga season has been simply sensational.

After beating Valencia at Mestalla, the Catalans saw off Athletic Club at home last night to make it six points in their first two league games, a feat only matched by Celta Vigo so far this season.

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring on the night with a great finish from outside the box, but an error by Pau Cubarsi gifted the visitors a chance to equalise from the penalty spot.

In the end, Robert Lewandowski was Barcelona’s saviour once more as he netted the winner for the Blaugrana in the 75th minute.

Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from last night’s performance.

A golden midfield duo

Hansi Flick surprised everyone with his team selection against Athletic Club as he opted to deploy young Marc Bernal alongside Pedri in the double pivot on the night.

For starters, his decision to choose Bernal over the more established and solid Marc Casado was surprising, and deploying Pedri alongside the 17-year-old was all the more bizarre.

Marc Bernal was very impressive against Athletic Club. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Once the game kicked off, however, it did not take long to see the dynamics Flick had planned behind the scenes and both Bernal and Pedri executed their roles to perfection.

The 17-year-old academy ace was primarily tasked as the main pivot and his flawless distribution and defensive awareness were both on point.

Bernal not only maintained control of the team’s possession but also held his line to break any counter-attacks and completed the game with a staggering 96% pass accuracy and 100% dribbles completed.

Pedri, meanwhile, served a dual role. While a part of the pivot when out of position, he was given the freedom to foray forward in attack and often pushed high on the left side to build numbers in the final third.

With five key passes, he ruled the field in his first start post-injury and looked frighteningly powerful in possession. Needless to say, his assist for Lewandowski’s winner was a work of art.

Flying full-backs

Flick’s Barcelona was always going to see renewed emphasis on the full-backs and last night’s performance exemplified exactly how.

Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, at right-back and left-back respectively, both enjoyed sensational performances against the Basque outfit, albeit in different senses.

Kounde was put up against Nico Williams at Montjuic and tasked with controlling one of the best wingers in the world in the process. Such was the Frenchman’s supremacy that the Spaniard did not appear out of his sight at any point in the 90 minutes.

Kounde recorded 12 defensive actions and was not dribbled past during the entire match, keeping complete control over Nico on the right. The Athletic Club star, in the end, had no successful crosses, long balls, shots on target or goal contributions to show.

Jule Kounde successfully suppressed Nico William’s threat. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

While Kounde shone in defence, Balde was given prominence in the final third and he passed his test with flying colours.

With one key pass, dangerous combination play with Pedri and Raphinha and his speed on the counter, the La Masia star was everywhere and it is not surprising that he played a big role in the team’s winning goal.

A captain’s performance

A lot can be said about Barcelona’s performance in the final third last night, for every player shone in their own right.

Yamal scored his first goal of the season with a worldie from outside the box while Lewy camped in the box hoping for a chance and converted in the second half. Even Ferran Torres was much improved from the last game.

The player who merits the most praise, however, is the newly-appointed captain Raphinha.

The Brazilian star was deployed as the attacking midfielder for the second consecutive game and shone brightly while playing in the central role. Almost every attack, in fact, went through his feet.

While he did not have any goal or assist to show for it, Raphinha recorded three key passes, created a stunning three big chances, had two shots blocked and completed three dribbles against Athletic Club.

His comfort in tight spaces, dynamism, ability to break loose on the counter and no-nonsense attitude in the final third brought to the team what they direly lacked last season and his leadership was visible on the field by leaps and bounds.

If his opening performances are anything to go by, Raphinha could well become one of the team’s most important resources over the coming months.