After opening the season with a 5-0 win over Elche, Barcelona again played with plenty of freedom and attacking intent in their first home game of the campaign. One of the most notable features was the make-up of the front line: with Flick still without a conventional centre-forward, Raphinha started as a false nine. The Brazilian interpreted the role with great mobility and also scored the opening goal.
Raphinha rewards Barcelona’s first-half dominance
Barcelona took control from the outset. Athletic dropped deep and offered virtually nothing going forward in the first half, while the hosts moved the ball quickly, rotated positions constantly and repeatedly found their way into dangerous areas.
Lamine Yamal forced Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón into an early save before Raphinha headed against the post. Pedri also had a goal ruled out for offside in the build-up.
The breakthrough finally came in the 37th minute. Pedri threaded an excellent pass through the defence, Raphinha timed his movement perfectly, rounded Simón and rolled the ball into the empty net. The move was a good illustration of why the Brazilian can currently function so effectively through the middle despite lacking the typical physical profile of a traditional centre-forward.
Movement rather than a traditional No 9
Raphinha rarely stayed fixed between Athletic’s centre-backs. He repeatedly dropped towards the ball, joined combinations and then accelerated into the space that opened up ahead of him. Fermín López also pushed high from midfield, while Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon regularly moved inside from the flanks.
Those rotations meant Barcelona lacked a conventional focal point in the penalty area, but they also made the attack much harder to read. The numbers reflected their dominance: Barcelona had 70 per cent possession, registered 22 attempts and produced 3.91 expected goals. Athletic managed just five shots and an xG figure of 0.25.
The one obvious criticism was the finishing. Simón produced several excellent saves to keep Athletic in the contest and prevent Barcelona from putting the game beyond reach far earlier.
Yamal hits the bar as Athletic threaten an unlikely equaliser
Little changed immediately after the restart. Barcelona continued to attack and Yamal became increasingly influential. In the 53rd minute, the 19-year-old tried his luck from outside the area and struck the crossbar.
Flick’s side continued to waste opportunities and, despite their clear superiority, suddenly found themselves in danger of being punished. Athletic created their best chance almost out of nowhere in the 75th minute when Oihan Sancet hit the post from distance. Barcelona had created more than enough opportunities to settle the match long before then, and their failure to do so almost proved costly.
Yamal finished the game without a goal despite several promising moments, but he again showed his quality in one-against-one situations and as a creator late on. For Flick, the most important aspect will be that his team once again generated a high volume of quality chances. The poor conversion rate looks more like a short-term issue and should balance itself out over a longer period.
Rodri makes his debut as Adeyemi helps create the second
Just after the hour mark, Barcelona’s marquee summer signing made his first competitive appearance for the club. Rodri replaced Raphinha to make his Barça debut, with the former Manchester City midfielder expected to bring greater control and experience to Flick’s midfield.
In the 80th minute, Flick also introduced Karim Adeyemi in place of Gordon. Only two minutes later, the Germany international played a part in the decisive second goal. His low cross was not dealt with cleanly by Aymeric Laporte, allowing Fermín to react quickest in the middle and make it 2-0.
Adeyemi almost added a third himself shortly before full-time. After being picked out by Yamal, he finished from close range but was denied by Simón. The score therefore remained 2-0, a margin that ultimately flattered Athletic given Barcelona’s clear superiority in chances. Flick’s side have now taken six points from their opening two league matches.
Atlético rule out Álvarez move to Barcelona
Barcelona’s unresolved situation at centre-forward will nevertheless remain a talking point. Julián Álvarez has been linked with the club for weeks, but a move for the Argentina international now appears highly unlikely. Atlético Madrid have publicly made it clear that they have no intention of negotiating his sale to Barcelona.
If Álvarez does push to leave Madrid, a move to England may therefore become a more realistic option, with Arsenal among the clubs reportedly interested. Raphinha’s convincing displays as a false nine at least reduce the immediate pressure on Barcelona to bring in another traditional striker before the window closes.
Barcelona handed two Champions League blockbusters
How well Barcelona’s striker-less approach works against Europe’s elite should become clearer in the Champions League. Thursday’s draw handed them two major home fixtures against Manchester City and Aston Villa, with Feyenoord and Como also due to visit Camp Nou.
Away from home, Barcelona will face holders Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Sabah. The meetings with PSG and Manchester City in particular should provide a useful measure of how far Flick’s reshaped team has progressed. After bowing out in the quarter-finals last season, Barcelona will expect to remain in contention for Europe’s biggest club prize for considerably longer this time around.
