Why Hansi Flick must swallow his pride and adjust Barcelona’s defensive system for El Clasico | OneFootball

It is unfortunate that Hansi Flick will not be on the sidelines for perhaps the most important game of the season so far, but that does not liberate him from the responsibility of what unfolds on the field against Real Madrid later today.

The manager may well be physically absent on the sidelines; however, the tactical setup and dynamics of Barcelona’s performance will still be dictated by what he has in mind.

There is, however, a real need to reconsider multiple facets of his setup ahead of the blockbuster clash.

Flick has largely been loyal to his idea of a high-risk, high-reward game plan over the past year, and his stubbornness has transformed Barcelona into a team that can keep up with the high physical demands of the system. 

It brought the team almost all the success in the world last time around, but there is a real feeling that if the manager must swallow his pride and tweak his philosophy for one game, it is today’s Clasico.

Real Madrid enter the game with weapons tailor-made to exploit all of Barcelona’s weaknesses.

A red-hot Kylian Mbappe, a Vinicius Jr. who has rediscovered his mojo, an Arda Guler who can slice open defences, and the return of Jude Bellingham to the dynamics all spell trouble for Barcelona.

The approach today, thus, becomes all the more important, especially in defence.

Here are three arenas Flick must be extra-cautious about if Barcelona are to minimise Los Blancos’ threat and improve their advantage on the night.

The right defensive selection

Jules Kounde cannot afford more slipups. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Flick’s dilemma will begin right from the selection of his back-line, for he has multiple options and profiles in the department and has still not found the right formula.

For starters, there is a cloud of doubt over the right-back position, especially with Jules Kounde looking error-prone and distracted this season.

With the right-back set to go up against Vinicius, it becomes fundamental that the player in the position be confident and maintain a psychological edge.

Given how Kounde has looked in recent games, it is unclear if he can keep up with Vinicius’ speed, trickery, and most importantly, his antics on the field.

Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo are also options to feature on the right, and that is a question for Flick to answer, considering all the pros and cons.

At centre-back, Pau Cubarsi is the only guaranteed starter, with only Araujo and Garcia being the only options to feature alongside him. 

While Araujo provides the physicality and pace, he is not as apt at holding his line and is error-prone.

Andreas Christensen provides superior distribution and effectiveness on the offside trap but he is unavailable for this fixture.

Meanwhile, Garcia may not have the physicality required to keep Mbappe at bay.

Big decisions thus await.

Adjusting the line

Can Barcelona stop Mbappe today? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The selection of personnel is the first step to Flick setting up the ideal defensive plan.

The second, and perhaps most fundamental one, however, is deciding how high the line should operate.

Barcelona’s plans over the past year have been based on the defence pushing as high as the middle of the field in possession, thus pushing more numbers forward and creating attacking openings.

The downside of that, however, is the spaces left behind the defence for oppositions to run into – something teams have done with ease this season, given the lack of surgical precision on the offside trap.

With Mbappe and Vinicius in their ranks, Los Blancos will look to capitalise on that very point in Barcelona’s setup, and it is thus crucial that Flick readjusts his line.

It will not be easy for the manager to scrap an idea he has advocated for so long later today, but that is precisely why he must swallow his pride – at least to some extent. After all, this game warrants that change.

While a readjustment does not imply a complete change in idea, Flick must look to deploy the defence slightly lower than they typically rest – thereby moving the defensive line a little deeper to limit the spaces behind them. 

Concurrently, an alternative strategy will be needed for ball progression, given the resultant disconnect between the defence and midfield.

A persistently high-pressure

How will the Barcelona forwards operate? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s defence, while primarily led by the back-line, also extends its responsibility across the field all the way to the striker- that is, the press the team exhibits off the ball.

The Catalans’ press, by far, is the single-most important facet of their game plan. The high defensive line thrives on the collective press effort, something that has lacked this season.

Whenever Barcelona have turned up with energy in their tanks and an effective press, oppositions have had no answers.

Even PSG, who went on to beat Barcelona in the UCL, were suffocated and helpless in the opening half hour when Flick’s side pressed effectively.

What is important later today, thus, is for Barcelona’s press to be tireless, coordinated, and effective without dropping in intensity across the ninety minutes.

Winning the second balls, succeeding in duels, and pressuring from the very front will be crucial in creating imbalances and getting into scoring positions.

Real Madrid, too, this season, have followed a similar school of football under Xabi Alonso and will also enter the game ready to press with intensity.

It is the team with the more effective press, thus, who will reign supreme tonight and go on to win the game.

Concurrently, however, it is important that Barcelona understands how to strike the balance between going all-out in pressing and when to drop deep in defence.

After all, it was a failure in that judgment that cost them dearly late vs Sevilla, and the team will require maturity in that respect.