Three things we learned as Barcelona fall 4-1 to Sevilla in La Liga | OneFootball

Losing has not been a habit under Hansi Flick during his tenure as FC Barcelona manager so far, but they have now lost successive games against PSG and Sevilla in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively.

If the second-half display against PSG was concerning, the first half against Sevilla was a new low. Barcelona went behind very early after a moment of madness from Ronald Araujo and could have conceded much more.

They went into the half-time break 2–1 down, a generous reflection of a horrendous first-half performance. Flick’s side played much better football after the interval, but were not clinical enough to pull off a comeback.

Ultimately, it was a game Flick would like to forget but cannot afford to. With that in mind, here are three things we learned as Barcelona fell 4-1 to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Non-existent Barcelona defensive line

Much has been said about Hansi Flick’s much-discussed high line in the past 12 months, but, against Sevilla, the defensive line in the first half was almost non-existent. It was all over the place.

Flick started Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, and Gerard Martin at the back and, with Szczesny in goal, ball progression took a massive hit. The Uruguayan made a blunder very early to concede a penalty.

Sevilla went man-to-man with a press that suffocated Barcelona, and without Eric, they could not play out from the back. It was no coincidence that the quality improved markedly once Balde and Eric came on in the second half.

In the absence of Inigo Martinez, Flick is missing a reliable leader of the back line. The international break gives the German coach an opportunity to identify the best way to solve this issue.

The Dani Olmo alter ego

There is no player in the Barcelona squad more diabolical than Dani Olmo. The Spanish playmaker either looks a million dollars or plays as if he has not kicked a football in his life.

Last night, as has often been the case since the start of the season, Olmo struggled to get going. The 27-year-old looks completely devoid of confidence. Despite managing to stay fit, he is not influencing games as much as he could.

Except for fleeting moments of brilliance, Olmo has had a poor run since Fermin Lopez’s injury. Last season, despite fitness issues, the Spaniard still managed to contribute whenever he was on the pitch.

Barcelona paid big money to sign Olmo from RB Leipzig at a time when their finances were strained. They desperately need him to come good after the international break. If not, tough conversations will be needed.

The absence of Lamine and Raphinha

While this is not an excuse for the defeat, the game against Sevilla showed how important Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are to this team. In the absence of the duo and Fermin Lopez, the press takes a massive hit.

All three are extremely aggressive off the ball and help initiate Barcelona’s press. In comparison, neither Lewandowski nor Olmo is as active off the ball, which further hurts Flick’s team.

Playing without Lamine and Raphinha removes a lot of quality from Barcelona. Their attacking impetus and defensive contribution are missed in equal measure, and one cannot wait for them to return.

Flick needs to find a way to adjust the system so it is functional if the duo misses further games. Let us hope both recover soon and come back to help the team arrest this recent slump.