Saturday's 4-0 rout of Athletic Club was a very meaningful match for Barcelona – and not just because it marked the Blaugrana's belated return to Camp Nou. Indeed, the Catalans winning without conceding a goal was arguably of far greater significance than the long-awaited reopening of their beloved home ground, as it was their first clean sheet for nine games in all competitions. Not since the facile 3-0 win over Getafe on September 21 had Barca shut out an opponent.
However, Hansi Flick resisted the urge to take a swipe at those who have become increasingly critical of his notoriously high defensive line. "I always think about saying something about the experts, former players, former coaches," he told reporters, "but I will not do it. [It makes) too much noise for us."
The coach's restraint was wise, because it will take a lot more than one clean sheet against a mid-table team in La Liga to silence the sceptics – particularly as Barca's dodgy defence is the main reason why Flick's team are in danger of failing to qualify directly for the last 16 of this season's Champions League as they prepare to face in-form Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday…
AFP'Makes no sense'
Barcelona are a television executive's dream. Their games guarantee goals. They've not been involved in a single scoreless draw since Flick replaced Xavi as coach during the summer of 2024. Their last Champions League outing illustrated why.
Barca played some lovely passing football against Club Brugge, had 23 shots and scored three goals, including a superb strike from Lamine Yamal. However, the Blaugrana were also forced to come from behind three times just to claim a share of the spoils. Brugge may have been restricted to 23.7 percent possession, but they were full value for their point. Indeed, the hosts had as many shots on target as Barca (six) and actually created more big chances (five) – three of which they took thanks to perfectly-timed runs in behind the visitors' high line by Carlos Forbs, who teed up fellow forward Nicolo Tresoldi for the opener before netting twice himself.
So, while neutrals were enjoying another wonderfully entertaining encounter involving Barcelona, former forward Thierry Henry was being driven to distraction.
"You cannot play in the Champions League with that high line, I'm sorry," the Frenchman said on . "When you play against good teams, you're going to get exposed, and that's exactly what happened tonight. When opponents attack down the flanks, the defence collapses. Football is not all about pressing. You also have to know how to protect your goal. It’s not normal for defenders to constantly be outnumbered or for the goalkeeper to be so exposed. With the talent Barca has, this makes no sense. How much longer are we going to keep repeating the same thing?.."
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Shocking'
The obvious counter-argument to the critics of Flick's high line is that it was integral to last season's success – and that was in spite of some initial reservations among the players.
"The first impression was shocking," former Barca defender Sergio Dominguez told . "[The coaches] told us, 'When the winger has the ball, the full-back has to press hard and the centre-backs have to move up with the full-back.' I had never seen that in football before. But when the first match comes and you catch the opposition offside nine times, and then seven times in the second, everyone followed the idea because it got results." Spectacular results, too.
Barca defeated Real Madrid four times on their way to winning a domestic treble, and it's worth remembering that Flick's bold footballing philosophy was widely lauded after the first Clasico of the 2025-26 campaign: a stunning 4-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu in which Kylian Mbappe was infamously flagged offside eight times.
However, when Henry said after the 3-3 draw with Brugge that we're "seeing the same mistakes as last season", he definitely had a point. Barca were the best team in Spain last season, but they were far from flawless. Opponents were very open about the fact that in the days leading up to games against the Catalans they would work on beating the initial press with clever movement and precise passing, before then trying to exploit the space in behind the Blaugrana backline with well-timed through balls for pacey widemen to chase.
It didn't always work, of course. As Mallorca midfielder Sergi Darder told , "If Barca play with that line, there's a reason for it. It's difficult [to break down]. So, it's easy to know what you have to do against a defence like that, but hard to actually do it."
This season, though, fewer teams are falling into Barca's offside trap.
AFP'Kamikaze tactic'
In Rayo Vallecano's 1-1 draw with Barca in Madrid on August 31, Inigo Perez deliberately stationed his striker in a central position 10 to 15 metres behind the Blaugrana defence, because the forward would suddenly become 'onside if the offside trap was breached by a runner out wide and, thus, have a healthy head start on the chasing defenders.
Not every rival coach is being quite so creative – although mainly because they don't need to be. The chink in Barca's armour is obvious: they leave acres of space in behind their full-backs, so while the outcome can be different, the opponent's strategy is nearly always the same.
"All the goals [conceded] are identical!" Dutch legend Ruud Gullit said on after the 3-3 draw with Brugge. "So, as a player, you have to ask yourself, 'Why should we continue using such a high line and why should we use the same method?' I think after a while, also the players themselves are concerned that is a kamikaze tactic. This is suicide because against any clever team… I think everybody is studying Barcelona right now."
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AFP'Impossible situations'
Teams are certainly enjoying more success against Barca than they were last season. Sevilla tore the Catalans to shreds just four days after Paris Saint-Germain picked them off on the break in the Champions League, while the 2-1 scoreline in October's Clasico loss at the Bernabeu flattered Flick's side, who, in complete contrast to last year, couldn't keep Mbappe in check.
So, what's going wrong? Well, Inigo Martinez is being sorely missed after being allowed to join Al-Nassr on a free. The veteran centre-back was, by Flick's own admission, a "key player" for Barca, "an absolute leader on and off the pitch" who marshalled the defence, telling the likes of Pau Cubarsi when – and when not to – step out.
It's also been argued that certain individuals are underperforming this season, with the usually reliable right-back Jules Kounde coming in for some criticism in recent weeks. As a result, France coach Didier Deschamps felt compelled to defend his compatriot and effectively pointed the finger of blame at Flick in the process.
"Barca plays with a very high line, regardless of the moment in the match. That leaves defenders in impossible situations," Deschamps argued.