Clasico: what didn't work for FC Barcelona

25.10.26 FT LaLiga Spain

Barcelona

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Real Madrid

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Just five days after losing at the Parc des Princes to PSG (4-2) in the Champions League, FC Barcelona lost the Clásico at Camp Nou (1-2) on Sunday evening. The impression left by the Catalans has been a constant since the start of the Hansi Flick era. Clearly, when a match is played under intense pressure, FC Barcelona cannot withstand it.

An impression has persisted since Hansi Flick took charge of FC Barcelona. Under the German's leadership, Barça lack mental strength. We saw it! José Mourinho's Real Madrid is not the reincarnation of the team from the Quinta del Buitre era or Vicente del Bosque's first Galácticos era. Los Blancos offer very little football, sometimes win by large margins, but more through strength than finesse.

A Barça side warned about a direct Real Madrid

FC Barcelona had been warned. The Madridistas were going to offer blood, sweat and Catalan tears. And last night in the Clasico, there was no misrepresentation of what was on offer. Real Madrid applied its highly minimalist plan as expected. They played as vertically as possible, and it was up to Barça to guard against that. Flick's men were unable to do so, and this is a recurring weakness, especially since their collective concentration is regularly undermined, almost in every match.

The mental issue persists

Beyond the players' current form, mentality is also at issue. Last season, FC Barcelona were knocked out twice in two-legged ties against Atlético de Madrid, in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, with Pau Cubarsí also sent off. The year before, there had been the elimination in Milan against Inter, even though, just a few minutes earlier, a place in the final in Munich had seemed almost secured.

The level of play and the experience accumulated by players who have won the European Championship and/or the 2026 World Cup are still not enough to set aside the desire to look good in order to put a foot in and disrupt the rhythm.

Rodri cannot make it work

Having joined Barça last summer, Rodri was supposed to solidify the Blaugrana's structure. But his Premier League impact has not rubbed off on his teammates. It must be said that FC Barcelona began to falter after he came on at the Parc. Sacrificing style for more down-to-earth considerations, valuing defensive possession and knowing how to hold on to a result are the solutions Hansi Flick must now seek.

Read also: 2026 Ballon d'Or: Jean-Pierre Papin names his favourite

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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