BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona’s season has become a paradox of brilliance and vulnerability. After a season-defining 4-3 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday’s latest El Clasico clash, the Catalan giants now sit seven points clear atop La Liga with just three games to go. But beneath the celebration, Coach Hansi Flick is wrestling with a structural flaw that continues to shadow the team’s progress: defensive fragility.
While Barcelona’s attacking line continues to terrorize oppositions — having scored an astonishing 16 goals against Real Madrid this season alone — their inability to contain pressure in key moments is raising concerns. Just days earlier, they suffered a heartbreaking Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan, who edged them out 4-3 in the semi-final second leg to win 7-6 on aggregate. In both matches, Barcelona were dazzling going forward — and alarmingly open at the back.
Speaking after the Madrid thriller, Flick acknowledged the imbalance. “We’re doing a lot right offensively, but football isn’t just about goals — it’s about control,” he noted. “We’ve created a style that brings goals, but we now need to find the structure that brings balance.”
Barcelona’s high defensive line, often a launchpad for their offensive transitions, has become a liability against pace. In Sunday’s game, both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior repeatedly found space in behind — Mbappe having a hat-trick and two chalked-off goals to his name. Yet Flick remains calm in the storm.
“This isn’t a personnel issue. It’s about the collective. We defend from the front, and when that breaks down, we expose ourselves,” Flick said. “I don’t blame the defenders. I see a system that needs refining — and that’s exactly what we’ll address.”
Despite the defensive gaps, Barcelona have emerged as arguably the most exhilarating side in Europe — not just for their dominance, but for the chaos they seem to embrace. Flick himself admitted, “It’s not always enjoyable — sometimes it’s agony watching us concede the way we do. But we’re evolving.”
The evolution could reach a milestone this Thursday. Barcelona can officially clinch the title with a win against city rivals Espanyol, or earlier if Madrid drop points against Mallorca.
Flick, keeping the focus sharp, concluded: “We’re nearly there. But we need to finish strong, fix what we must, and bring this title home.”
As La Liga nears its climax, Barcelona find themselves at a familiar crossroads: glorious, but flawed.
