Hansi Flick faces an early-season challenge at FC Barcelona, as the absence of Iñigo Martínez forces him to rebuild the defense around Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araújo. Balde must mature tactically, and the team needs to improve coordination in the high defensive line.
⚽ A Defense Under Construction
Barcelona is struggling to adapt without Iñigo Martínez at the heart of their defense. Flick’s preseason plans relied on the experienced center-back to stabilize the back line, but his absence has forced tactical adjustments.
Youngster Pau Cubarsí is now learning to play alongside Ronald Araújo, and the team still lacks full synchronization when maintaining a high defensive line and triggering the offside trap.
🎯 Season Goal: Concede Fewer Goals
Before the season, Barcelona set a clear objective: allow fewer goals and fewer chances.
Flick’s tactical plan involves:
- A high defensive line
- Aggressive pressing
- Precise offside traps
Last season’s numbers show why this is crucial:
- La Liga: 39 goals conceded (over 1 per match)
- Champions League: 24 goals conceded (1.7 avg.)
- Copa del Rey: 7 goals
- Spanish Super Cup: 2 goals
In total, 72 goals conceded — 1.2 goals per game. This is a figure Flick is determined to reduce.
🆚 Mixed Start to the Season
Barcelona’s first two matches show both promise and problems:
- Mallorca: Clean sheet, but the opponent finished the game with nine players.
- Levante: A warning sign — the newly promoted side created 6 big chances and registered 8 shots on target. One goal came from a penalty, but Barça’s defense still looked shaky.
🔴 Why Iñigo Martínez Matters
Iñigo Martínez wasn’t just a defender — he was the organizer of Barcelona’s back line. He controlled positioning, coordinated the offside trap, and built attacks with his excellent passing.
Coach Hansi Flick admitted his absence is critical:
“Last season, Iñigo was one of the main pillars of our success. He gave everything for this club.”
Key qualities Iñigo brought:
- Leadership & authority — Young defenders listened and learned from him.
- Left-footed balance — Rare at the highest level, gave Barça better buildup options.
- Diagonal passes — Frequently set up transitions, especially targeting Lamine Yamal.
Without him, Barcelona lacks a natural defensive coordinator.
🟡 New Partnership: Cubarsí – Araújo
The new pairing of Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araújo shows potential but needs time.
- Cubarsí: Rapidly developing but still inexperienced. Against Levante, he struggled in 1v1 duels and was partially responsible for the opening goal.
- Araújo: Naturally a covering defender — excellent at recovery tackles and last-ditch saves. However, Flick is asking him to evolve:
- Better positioning in the high line
- Riskier forward passing
- Sharper anticipation
The challenge for Flick is to turn these two into a synchronized defensive mechanism with clear role distribution and automated movements behind the advanced full-backs.
🌟 Balde Must Mature Faster
The absence of Iñigo Martínez also puts pressure on Alejandro Balde. Iñigo used to guide him constantly, keeping the defensive shape intact and ensuring the offside trap stayed aligned.
Now, Balde will have to develop tactical awareness more quickly — otherwise, Barça risks conceding from positional errors. Flick expects him to step up as an intelligent two-way full-back capable of adjusting instantly.
