Barcelona are going through a crisis that 99% of European clubs would love to have: top of La Liga, second in the Champions League and with the world's top young star in Lamine Yamal.
Hansi Flick's side also enjoyed a resounding El Clasico victory over Real Madrid, and are almost certain to earn €40m for progressing through the Champions League group stage.
And when it comes to playing style, Barca under Flick often deliver mesmerizing performances with plenty of goals scored. So, the question is, in what way are they in crisis?
The Blaugrana have actually scored four goals against Real Madrid, four against Bayern Munich and five against Mallorca. And in their recent 3-2 win over Dortmund in the Champions League, they should have scored more if they had taken their chances. It's worth remembering that this was also the first time Dortmund have been defeated at home in the Champions League since 2021.
If success were measured purely by results, Barca would still be on the right track. But cracks are starting to appear in their team, to the point where it could be called a crisis. Flick’s team is no longer consistent in their games.
They could have avoided a 0-1 home defeat to Leganes but were completely helpless. Barcelona also failed to take advantage of the opportunity when Real Madrid dropped 2 points in a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano. Ahead of the important match against Atletico Madrid, Barca have been caught up in points by their opponents. Remember, the Blaugrana have played 1 more match than the Madrid representative.
Barcelona have now lost two consecutive home games, their fourth defeat of the La Liga season. Real Madrid lost just once on their way to winning the league last season.
At the beginning of November, after beating Espanyol to open up a nine-point gap over Real Madrid and a 10-point gap over Atletico, Barca were considered the favourites to win the title. However, they have now only won five points from a possible 18.
"Barcelona created 20 chances, played well, but couldn't score. It's hard to win with such a disappointing performance.
We need to learn from this game. Barcelona have had a difficult run of games in a short time and the club is not yet used to it. The team needs to work harder" - Flick said after the loss to Leganes.
