Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich was seen as a confirmation of a new phase for the Catalan team. What was special was not only the score, but also the way Hansi Flick's team showed complete control of the match.
Barca played a bold defensive strategy with almost the entire squad pressing high. In addition, the Blaugrana starting lineup had 8 players who graduated from La Masia.
The defeat of Bayern Munich, the club that humiliated Barca with an 8-2 defeat four years ago, brought joy and excitement to the fans. It was Barcelona's most memorable victory at the Olympic Montjuic stadium, their temporary home during the rebuilding of the Camp Nou.
Barcelona have long played with a high defensive line but this season they are taking it to the next level in a more adventurous way. This boldness is not surprising under Hansi Flick.
Previously at Bayern Munich, the German strategist created an innovative defense with the flexibility to apply the offside trap. However, what Flick is doing with Barcelona is even more courageous, working with young defenders and an inexperienced goalkeeper like Inaki Pena.
Statistics show that Barcelona play a completely different style of football to other teams in Europe's top 5 leagues. They have caught their opponents offside the most times and play the most effective passes to break through the opposition defence.
Bayern Munich are the only team to have played more penetrating passes than Barca this season. However, Hansi Flick's side did not back down, forming a risky 6-0-4 formation. The "Giants" defenders pushed so high that they were almost at the same level as the midfield.
The difference was made in the first minute, Barca's defense pushed up and caught a number of Bayern players offside. This forced goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make a long pass upfield. Immediately, Barca launched a quick attack with Raphinha dropping in behind the opponent's defense.
Raphinha was the star of the show with a hat-trick. His second goal was a cut-back from the wing and a finish, while his third was a combination of pace and skill. However, it was the Brazilian's opener that truly summed up his role this season, playing the No. 10 role behind Robert Lewandowski.
“I have never had a player like Raphinha. He is very dynamic both with and without the ball. Raphinha's speed is amazing. Every team needs a player like that” - Hansi Flick shared.
The transformation Flick is bringing to Barca is also special in that he does not speak Spanish but only uses English in training sessions. However, this is not an obstacle because both teacher and student understand each other very well.
In addition to the new things Hansi Flick brings, Barca currently owns a promising La Masia generation. Young talents such as Pau Cubarsi, Marc Casado or Fermin Lopez all play well and play important roles in the squad. Meanwhile, Pedri and Gavi are at the peak of their development. Meanwhile, it can be said that Lamine Yamal is the leading winger in Europe.
Hansi Flick's side are building a promising new era and creating the purest Barca since Pep Guardiola's reign.
