Barcelona are a third of the way into the season and Hansi Flick’s side can make a compelling case for being one of the best teams in Europe.
Flick appears to have settled on his preferred starting line-up, partly formed by players who got there through necessity but who have now done enough to convince the German they must remain.
Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Fermin Lopez have recovered from recent injuries. Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are on their way back and Eric Garcia will have returned in two weeks at most.
So, how is Flick going to handle a full squad of first-team players who all want to play? And what does his best XI look like?
Before Barca’s Champions League game against Red Star Belgrade — where some fringe players could look to prove themselves — we take a look.
Goalkeeper: Inaki Pena (backup: Wojciech Szczesny)
Pena has played every game since No 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending knee injury, and there’s no sign that’s going to change in the foreseeable future.
Barcelona decided to sign Szczesny as backup. Flick believed he was losing a world-class ’keeper in Ter Stegen but also a veteran with a big influence in terms of leadership in a young dressing room. Signing the 34-year-old Szczesny made total sense in the manager’s eyes and some around the club believed the Pole would need little time to become first-choice.
A shaky performance from Pena in Barca’s 3-0 win against Deportivo Alaves fuelled concern among fans, with sources close to the dressing room — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — saying a change in goal wouldn’t have been a big surprise. But Flick had other plans.
“Inaki is going to play against Sevilla and Bayern. I can confirm that,” Flick told reporters before one of the biggest weeks of the season for Barca. “There is no reason for us to change; he’s been very good in goal.”
Since then, Pena has repaid the German’s confidence. The 25-year-old was brilliant in the 4-0 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. “I don’t know what people say outside, but inside the club, I’ve felt full confidence from my manager, team-mates and everyone all season — and I am so happy about this,” Pena told Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo this week.
Benching Pena would have hurt the academy graduate’s confidence. Instead, he is now totally devoted to his manager — a bold call from Flick that has been proven right.
Right-back: Jules Kounde (backup: Hector Fort)
No debate here. Kounde is Barcelona’s undisputed right-back after the French defender finally accepted it was best for all sides for him to move across from centre-back.
At the start of the 2023-24 season, the 25-year-old spoke with then-manager Xavi and told him he felt his best position was in central defence. But time and constant improvement have shown he is a much better fit on the right.
He’s become one of the most consistent performers this campaign and has been a rock at the back. Lamine Yamal called him “the best right-back in the world” in one comment on an Instagram post by Kounde.
It’s also true that Kounde doesn’t have much competition in that position. The 18-year-old La Masia product Hector Fort is the only natural backup and he is a long way from offering what Kounde does.
Centre-backs: Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez (backups: Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo)
Flick had no choice but to build his defence around Cubarsi and Martinez when the season started, as they were the only senior centre-back duo available from last term.
But three months in, they have every right to be considered among the best partnerships in Europe. Martinez is the orchestrator of Barca’s renowned offside trap under Flick while Cubarsi gives them unparalleled vision in terms of build-up play.
“Inigo Martinez is a fundamental piece, a real leader in this team,” Flick said after his team beat Espanyol at the weekend. He has also praised Cubarsi, saying “The way that Pau plays at his age is incredible”.
The former Germany and Bayern Munich coach is going to have more players to handle soon, with Araujo and Christensen nearing returns from long-term injuries. Former Manchester City defender Garcia has to be included in that group too, as Gavi and De Jong coming back means he won’t have to be used as an emergency midfielder.
Araujo is expected to return from his hamstring injury before Christensen. But as much as the 25-year-old Uruguayan has been a highly valued asset over the last few years, he can’t consider himself to be an instant starter. He will have to fight for his place.
Those close to the dressing room say Flick is pretty clear that Cubarsi and Martinez are his partnership at present — and he doesn’t plan to fix what’s not broken. The players on the outside face a challenge to force their way back in.
Left-back: Alejandro Balde (backup: Gerard Martin)
A similar situation to Kounde, Balde owns this position, partly through his performances but also because of a lack of competition.
Barca couldn’t count on Balde for most of last season due to a serious hamstring injury he suffered. Now the 21-year-old is back after a carefully monitored recovery plan and Flick is managing his workload very carefully.
The former Barcelona Atletic (reserve team) left-back Martin, 22, is his replacement, but doesn’t represent a real threat to the Spain international.
Holding midfielder: Marc Casado (backup: Frenkie de Jong)
Few would have expected it in the summer, but Casado is Flick’s starting holding midfielder, well ahead of De Jong.
In a way, that’s handy for Barcelona after De Jong’s long-term absence with an ankle injury. The 27-year-old Dutchman can’t be rushed into action and will need to be eased back into action before he can perform at his best.
Casado was the solution but also appears to be a better fit for Flick’s style. In a side that punishes opponents with direct transitions, Casado’s short, quick passes are perfect, and the 21-year-old perhaps offers more in that sense than a ball-carrier such as De Jong. He is the perfect foil for Pedri and Olmo as well, who are given more of a free role in midfield while Casado stays disciplined in terms of his position.
The latest La Masia gem, Casado’s performances also mean there’s less pressure on De Jong and Gavi to immediately start after recovering. But will De Jong be able to take Casado’s spot soon? There are serious doubts about that in the dressing room.
Attacking midfielders: Pedri and Dani Olmo (backups: Fermin Lopez, Gavi)
Pedri has been among Barcelona’s most important players this season. The 21-year-old midfielder has left behind his injury problems under Flick and is playing his best football since he joined from Las Palmas four years ago. Nobody comes close to him in this form.
Since returning from his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last month, Gavi has been used in Pedri’s position in the few minutes he has played. But for now, he’s expected to play a secondary role as he gets back up to speed.
The other spot in midfield has been taken by Olmo. The €60million ($77m; £50m at current exchange rates) summer signing’s impact has been impressive, to the point you can’t tell he left La Masia at 16 — he has scored five goals in five La Liga games, missing the first two when he wasn’t registered and four others through injury.
Behind him is last season’s sensation, Fermin. The 21-year-old shone in an attacking midfield role last season, before being part of Spain’s European Championship and Olympic gold medal-winning squads in the summer (he was the player of the tournament in France). But that position is seriously crowded at Barca now.
Fermin extended his deal last week, signing a new one until 2029. He can adapt to multiple positions in attack, which is good news given that Olmo, Pedri and a fully fit Gavi would be ahead of him in the pecking order.
Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha (backups: Ferran Torres, Pau Victor, Ansu Fati)
How do you replace the best attacking trio in Europe’s top five leagues, with 34 goals between them? The answer: you can’t. Firstly because of their quality, but also because no other forwards represent a real threat.
Yamal is the undisputed star of this team. The 17-year-old winger has seized on his platform since winning Euro 2024 with Spain in the summer, scoring six goals and providing eight assists in 15 games.
On the left, you have the most improved player of the season: Raphinha. He’s provided 20 goal contributions so far and his off-the-ball commitment fits Flick’s high-pressing style like a glove.
Then there’s only one Lewandowski. Nobody in the squad has his skill set or goalscoring ability. The 36-year-old looks like the very best version of his old self again under Flick, who also worked with him at Bayern.
Behind them, there’s little in the way of quality replacements. Torres is injured now but has been underwhelming when available, despite Flick giving him opportunities. Fati is fourth in the pecking order after failing to make an impact on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion last season. Victor, 22, joined from Girona this summer after spending last term with Barca’s second team but is only a fringe player.
Perhaps the biggest threat to the forward line is a midfielder such as Fermin or Olmo stepping up. But why change a winning formula?
(Top photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
