Barcelona’s recent performances under Hansi Flick have been disappointing, with the team suffering a series of defeats despite not necessarily playing poorly. The recent was against Atletico Madrid at home.
Their current run is a tough one, having won only one of their last seven league games, with two draws and five losses.
This results in just five points out of a possible 21, leaving them far behind the league leaders and undermining the strong start to the season that raised expectations.
Home form is troubling
The team’s home form has been particularly troubling, with three consecutive defeats. This marks the worst home run for the club in recent memory, matching similar streaks from 1965 and 1987.
Furthermore, Barcelona have conceded at least one goal in each of their last eight La Liga matches, their worst defensive run since the 2018 season when they let in goals in 11 consecutive games.
Looking at the overall picture, Barcelona have now suffered five losses in the league, with most of these coming in the past month and a half. Prior to this tough period, they had only lost once, to Osasuna.
However, in just over a month, they have been beaten by Real Sociedad (0-1), Las Palmas (1-2), Legan3s (0-1), and Atl3tico Madrid (1-2). This has left fans wondering how the team’s fortunes have shifted so dramatically.
Comparing to Xavi’s Barcelona
To put these losses into context, if we compare this season to last year, the team already has as many defeats in 19 games as they did throughout the entire 38-match campaign under Xavi.
In the 2022/23 season, which saw Barcelona win the La Liga title, they lost six times—only one more than their current total. The defeats last season came against Real Madrid (1-2 and 3-2), Girona (2-4 and 4-2), and Villarreal (3-5).
One key difference between Xavi’s Barcelona last season and Flick’s team this year is the number of draws. This season, Barcelona have managed just two draws, compared to the seven they secured last year.
The tendency for the results to either be a victory or a defeat may stem from Flick’s aggressive playing style.
The manager’s approach focuses on attacking and taking risks, always looking to break down the opposition, which has often led to games being decided by narrow margins.
