In the last five matchdays, Barcelona has only gathered five points, squandering their lead at the top of the standings. The team coached by Hansi Flick is not going through a good moment, although they still hold the top spot despite the current slump. After the latest international break, the Blaugrana side is not performing at the same level, neither in terms of feelings nor results.
Outperformed in San Sebastián by Real Sociedad, Barcelona let a 0-2 lead slip away in Vigo, faced a setback against Las Palmas at home, and relied entirely on the magic of Lamine Yamal and the saves of Iñaki Peña last Saturday at the Villamarín, perhaps because the plan worked to secure five goals at Son Moix. The young winger from the academy played a key role in almost all of them, and at just 17 years old, he is increasingly becoming a leader and the solution for the team.
Very unbalanced
Flick's team has already played 11 away games and has 13 home games left in the championship
Although the game has not been on their side since November, Barcelona can take comfort in looking at the calendar and thinking that the worst is already behind them. After Dortmund, they have two matches in front of their home crowd against Leganés and Atlético to demonstrate a maturity and evolution that, given it is a young and renewed project, has been difficult to achieve.
The Flick team has been more interesting and devastating since the surprise of when there were doubts about whether they could be contenders than from the obligation of being the favorite because they have wanted to abuse long passes and direct play, too vertical. It is still unknown whether their peak was the week they beat Bayern and Real Madrid or if they can return to those heights.
High voltage outlets
Barcelona has already passed through the Bernabéu, Montilivi, La Cerámica, Mestalla, Villamarín, Balaídos, El Sadar, and Anoeta
With the difficult adaptation of Mbappé and the injuries that Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Bellingham have suffered in this first part of the season, it may seem that the difference in the standings with Madrid is narrow and should be wider. However, a look at the matches already played reveals that Barcelona has played 11 out of their 17 League games away from home, while they have only played as hosts in six matches.
In the first four months of competition, it has already visited the Bernabéu, Montilivi, La Cerámica, Mestalla, Villamarín, Balaídos, El Sadar, and Anoeta, facing high-voltage away games. It has navigated through these challenges well, overcoming difficult situations such as comebacks in Valencia and Vallecas, as well as convincing victories in Girona and Villarreal. In total, it has secured 23 out of 33 possible points, acknowledging the 4 points that slipped away in the final stretches of the matches against Celta and Betis, both ending in 2-2 draws.
Where can the key be hidden?
There are five fields that the first two teams have not yet visited: Valladolid, Getafe, the Pizjuán, Cornellà, and the Metropolitano
The thorny journey adds more shine and merit to the getaway that the blaugrana have achieved. On the other hand, this asymmetry between the first and second legs –it was the club who requested it in order to have the hook of the return to Camp Nou, which still has no specific date– favors a priori the consolidation of Barcelona's lead as they have up to 13 games in front of their fans, starting with Leganés and Atlético before Christmas. So far, with Flick, Barcelona has accumulated 83% of the points at Montjuïc, all except the three from the defeat against Las Palmas.
While their great rival, with one less match, has not suffered that schedule disbalance and has played the same number of games at home and away (8). In addition to the Barcelona derby, Madrid has ten other away games remaining, including some where Flick's team has dropped points like at El Sadar or the Villamarín.
They add up to more than 1,600 minutes
Pedri, Raphinha, and Lewandowski were substituted in Seville with an eye on Dortmund, but also in May
The La Liga title goes through five stadiums, which are the ones that must still host both the blaugrana and the whites. They are Valladolid, Getafe, the Sánchez Pizjuán, Cornellà, and the Metropolitano, the stronghold of an Atlético that still maintains its chances intact. The key to the champion could be hidden there.
But to aspire to that and arrive with guarantees at the five matchdays in May, Flick understands that he must preserve certain key pieces in his scheme, players who have also been subjected to a very high demand because Barcelona started with a squad greatly affected by injuries (De Jong, Gavi, and Araújo, in addition to Ter Stegen, Bernal, Christensen, and Ansu Fati). This explains the changes at the Villamarín where he ended without Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha, and Lewandowski, authors of 48 goals.
But the Canary player has already surpassed the 1,600-minute mark, the Polish player is above 1,700, and the Brazilian player has exactly 1,812 minutes under his belt as he prepares to visit Borussia Dortmund's stadium, the current runner-up in Europe, the day after tomorrow. This Barça team, vibrant and inconsistent, has had to battle not only against its opponents but also with the accumulation of travel and fatigue, yet it remains competitive in two competitions, leading in La Liga and standing third in the Champions League.
