Hansi Flick Tears Barcelona Apart—And Offers Solution to Current Crisis

Barcelona have lost consecutive games and slipped behind Real Madrid at La Liga’s summit after falling foul of the same problem again and again.

Hansi Flick was unimpressed with Barcelona’s back-to-back defeats. | Javier Borrego/Europa Press/Getty Images

Hansi Flick did not hold back in his fierce criticism of Barcelona’s disastrous defeat to Girona but was hopeful that a relenting calendar and the return of two key figures would help his side stop the rot.

Barcelona were once again torn to shreds in transition during Monday’s chaotic 2–1 reverse. This setback came just four days after Atlético Madrid picnicked happily in the yawning chasms which opened up behind Barça’s backline in a 4–0 Copa del Rey thrashing.

“We’re not in a good moment, especially in defensive transitions,” Flick seethed. Such was the white-hot peak of his fury the Barcelona boss refused to linger on the refereeing error which led to Girona’s winner. “If we had played well, I could criticize the decision,” he scoffed.

“We need to focus on our work and improve ourselves,” Flick lamented after watching his side tumble two points behind Real Madrid at La Liga’s summit this weekend. “We’re not showing our true potential.”

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What Is Going Wrong for Barcelona?

Barcelona players were left stunned at Montilivi. | David Ramirez/Soccrates/Getty Images

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García summed up the issue concisely: “We are conceding way too many chances; we concede too easily.” He is certainly in a position to know. “My many saves are not a good thing,” the busy custodian fretted after pulling off a trio of wonder saves to ensure that Girona were limited to just two goals. “It’s not something to celebrate if I have to make that many saves.”

Counterintuitively, Barcelona have conceded the fewest shots of any side in La Liga. However, the lofty quality of these chances is exposed by the swollen expected goals (xG) figure Barça have racked up—Flick’s side boast the 12th-best defensive record in the division according to this metric.

This is chiefly because so many of the shots opponents are taking against Barcelona have come in transition, when the defence is not set, offering a clear route to goal which García can only do so much about. Only one team across Europe’s top five leagues has conceded more shots from counter-attacking scenarios than Barcelona’s 36 this season.

The root cause of this glaring issue is also Barcelona’s greatest strength—their press. When all pistons are firing this obscenely aggressive approach off the ball can work wonders. By pushing their center backs up to the halfway line and haring after the opponents in possession, Barcelona condense the pitch, forcing turnovers which allow them to strike in transition.

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Barcelona’s Defensive Issues

Statistic	Barcelona Value	La Liga Rank (Out of 20)
Total Goals Conceded	25	3rd
Expected Goals Conceded	28.4	12th
Total Shots Conceded	227	1st
Counter-Attacking Shots Conceded	36	20th
Offsides Provoked	116	1st

Stats via Opta.

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But this is a delicate balancing act. If players are just a few strides too late to close down or one step out of line with their fellow defenders, the elite professionals of La Liga and the Champions League need just one or two passes to slice through “Flick’s Line,” as it has been dubbed by rival managers.

From the view of García, who watches it all unfold from pitch-level, Barcelona’s issue is immediately after they lose possession, the “counter-press”—i.e. the press that guards against counter-attacks. “We press well from a set position,” he mused. “When we lose the ball, we need to cut off plays and commit fouls in the opponent’s half. They commit fouls against us.”

For Flick, this issue doesn’t lie in the frontline—Raphinha’s return to fitness has helped co-ordinate that zone—but in midfield. “Our positioning, especially in midfield, wasn't good,” the German boss fretted. “We were too open. We need to calm down. We made a lot of mistakes.”

The imminent return of Barcelona’s best midfielder has unsurprisingly given Flick cause for some cautious optimism.

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Flick’s Planned Improvements for Barcelona

Pedri is set to return this week. | David RamosUEFA/Getty Images

The first port of call for Flick was some time off. Intense pressing drains minds as much as muscles—modern schemes are far more sophisticated than blindly charging forward—and two days off this week will be much appreciated.

“We’ve been lacking a little bit of everything,” center back Pau Cubarsí breathlessly reflected on Monday. “We need to be self-critical. We need to improve. We need to rest and recharge our batteries because we have a long week ahead.”

Barcelona have played 13 games in 45 days but now have a free week before Sunday’s visit from relegation-battling Levante, by which time Flick will have Pedri back.

“We need to get back to our best, and some players like Pedri and [Marcus] Rashford will be back soon,” Flick beamed.

Historic.

Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona by a four-goal margin for the first time since 1989. pic.twitter.com/wZQXAYt8pE

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) February 13, 2026

Pedri is the heart of everything good which Barcelona do in midfield and his absences this season have been painfully apparent. The central schemer watched his teammates ship three against Club Brugge and Chelsea as well as last week’s pummelling at the hands of Atlético.

Sevilla did knock four past a midfield with Pedri at its heart in October specifically because manager Matías Almeyda targeted the Spanish “brain,” to use his words.

Pedri was miraculously fit for 59 of the 60 games which Barcelona played in Flick’s first season but his hamstrings have not held up this term. When the No. 8 isn’t available, Barça have ploughed forward with the same approach which has inspired some supposed pushback from players.

Talks held on Friday saw some squad members call for “more pragmatism” around key games and a tailored plan depending on the individuals available, according to The Athletic. Essentially, don’t make Marc Casadó cosplay as Pedri—no one wins in that scenario. The same outlet claims that Flick took this advice onboard only to then focus on fine-tuning Plan A rather than coming up with a Plan B. Those who live by the sword, invariably die by the same means.

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