Hansi Flick identifies key issues from Barcelona’s recent losses to PSG and Sevilla – report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona went into the international break in a disappointing manner, suffering back-to-back defeats – one each in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

The Blaugrana were first beaten 1-2 by European champions PSG before Sevilla hammered them 1-4 in the league, turning up the pressure on the squad and manager Hansi Flick.

Flick identifies major issues

According to Mundo Deportivo, Flick and his coaching staff have spent this week, without matches due to international fixtures, meticulously analysing footage of Barcelona’s two consecutive defeats against PSG and Sevilla.

Beyond the toll caused by injuries, the high quality of opponents such as Luis Enrique’s PSG, and the evident lack of intensity admitted by players after the loss in Seville, Flick & co. have detected a recurring set of errors that must be corrected immediately.

These issues relate more to poor defensive coordination and confusion over in-game tactical decisions than to fatigue alone.

A detailed review

A deep study of the goals conceded against PSG shed considerable light and served as a warning for what would later occur in Seville.

With the score at 1-0, disorder began from a PSG build-up, starting with their goalkeeper. Possibly, Barcelona’s lines pushed up late after a long-range attempt by Dani Olmo.

PSG, stretching the pitch wide through Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, lured Barça into pressing. However, Flick’s team became disjointed.

Lamine hesitated between pressing Willian Pacho, who received the ball inside the area, or marking Nuno Mendes directly. He remained caught halfway, allowing Mendes to receive freely.

The breakdown escalated when Jules Kounde advanced aggressively to confront Mendes, who bypassed him with a quick one-two with Ibrahim Mbaye. The move was orchestrated, with Luis Enrique explicitly directing Mbaye to drag Eric Garcia out of position.

Lack of defensive coordination a concern. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

At that point, the gap was exposed. Neither Olmo nor Frenkie de Jong recognised the danger of Mendes’ advancing run. Olmo was late to close the inside channel, and De Jong shifted to cover Eric’s vacated space.

Kounde refrained from committing a tactical foul, Mendes found Senny Mayulu, and Pau Cubarsi’s hesitation in stepping forward allowed the equaliser (1-1).

Several mistakes occurred in that sequence, but the technical staff have identified Koundé’s premature pressing movement as the decisive moment that triggered the team’s structural collapse.

In PSG’s second goal, scored by Gonçalo Ramos, a similar pattern emerged. Cubarsi pressed Lee Kang-in far from his zone without committing a foul, forcing Alejandro Balde to move centrally to cover behind him.

It left Hakimi free to advance down the wing and assist Ramos. Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and De Jong also failed to adjust their positions to compensate for the defensive imbalance that followed.

These collective lapses, stemming from individual misjudgements, eroded the team’s confidence, an issue that became even more evident in Seville. There, fatigue compounded the problem, and the 1-4 defeat exposed the worst version of Flick’s Barça.

The coaching staff have already prepared video sessions to reinforce defensive principles and prevent such costly errors from recurring.