Raphinha and Joan García: Barcelona’s Confidence Builders | OneFootball

Even after beating Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup, it still doesn’t feel like Hansi Flick’s Barcelona has hit their ceiling. Tactics were essential in the win over Los Blancos, looking at Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López quite a bit there, but the main reason they won was the sense of belief. Even during the chaos at the end of the first half, with three goals being scored in stoppage time, Barça found a way through the chaos to score the winning goal in the second half and collect the trophy.

The final turned out to be what all El Clásicos tend to be: frantic, emotionally volatile, and decided in transitional moments of superb attacks. Against Real Madrid, that has been Barça’s undoing in the past. But this time there was no collective panic. Instead, the Blaugrana played with a confidence that sustained them. That confidence and mentality this season has been embodied by two players more than any other, Raphinha and Joan García.

Raphinha: Hansi Flick’s Winner

Raphinha’s impact wasn’t just the two goals against Real Madrid. A vital block in the first half was a reminder that the Brazilian also puts in a lung-busting defensive shift too. Barcelona’s press this season with or without Raphinha has been night and day, and as evidenced against Real Madrid, his presence even makes up for the limited mobility of Robert Lewandowski. Against Madrid’s low block, he served as the release valve, making unselfish runs repeatedly to stretch the backline and open those middle channels for Lewandowski.

But it wasn’t just Real Madrid. Barcelona has not lost yet this season with Raphinha in the starting line-up. The only loss with him in the squad was the 3-0 to Chelsea when he played the final 28 minutes as he continued to work his way back from injury. The only draw with him playing this season was the 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano. The Spanish Super Cup 3-2 scoreline was the first time this season when Raphinha scored and the opposing team was within a goal of Barcelona when the 90 minutes were up.

It’s interesting to consider that despite the talents of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, or Pau Cubarsí, it might just be Raphinha that Culers will most closely associate with the Hansi Flick era. He has gone from a very good late bloomer at Leeds United to a Ballon d’Or candidate.

Joan García: The Calm that Anchors Everything

On the opposite end of the pitch, Joan García has been the other mentality monster for Barcelona this season. The three goals he conceded against Chelsea resulted in his only loss of the season. In fact, he’s kept a clean sheet in eight of the 18 matches that he’s started this season.

The save numbers and percentages don’t jump off the page, but the confidence that he provides a backline now led by a still very young Cubarsí is noticeable. He commands his box and uses his athleticism in ways that Marc-André ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczęsny just can’t do against counterattacks.

Even after de Jong’s red card, a moment where Real Madrid could have flipped the script, Joan García kept his defense settled. Bolstered by the emotional return of Ronald Araújo, Barça survived the late corners and the keeper made two Madrid headers look a lot less dramatic than they could have been. His ability to look unfazed in both the big moments and the routine times is the kind of confidence that Barcelona need to be playing with.

A Blueprint for the Ceiling

Of course two players does not a team make, but those two are proving to be irreplaceable to Barcelona’s desires for trophies this season. With Real Madrid in a maelstrom after losing to Barcelona, sacking Xabi Alonso, and getting knocked out of the Copa del Rey in a matter of days, the domestic treble is again a possibility for Hansi Flick’s men. With the right mentality, they might be able to conquer Spain and see where their ceiling lies in Europe.

For more on the impact of Raphinha and Joan García, check out The Barcelona Podcast’s review of the Spanish Super Cup Final: