Barcelona’s season has been a rollercoaster ride with highs and lows, showcasing their best side not seen in many years, alongside periods of unexpected struggles.
How Barça Dominated Early On?
Barcelona started off the season with an electrifying start, setting the tone as serious contenders domestically and in Europe.
Barcelona started the league campaign on a positive note, winning games against Valencia, Rayo, Bilbao, and Valladolid, showcasing standout performances led by Lewandowski, Raphinha, Lamine, and Cubarsi.
September started off with a commanding win against Girona, showcasing Lamine’s brilliance, but Barcelona started their UCL campaign with a poor defeat against Monaco. Barcelona continued their league streak with a win over Villarreal and Getafe, but the club suffered a setback due to Ter Stegen’s injury, but Iñaki Peña covered the spot well. Barcelona ended the month with a loss to Osasuna, ruining their La Liga winning streak.
The turning point
October was a turning point; Barcelona had the most challenging week of the season, facing Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Bayern one after the other. Barcelona was successful in all 3 games, marking them as unstoppable.
November and December were ones to forget for Barcelona fans. While November started on a positive note with wins against Red Star and Espanyol, it soon turned into the worst period of the season.
Barcelona only managed to win one La Liga game out of seven, squandering a nine-point lead over Real Madrid to end the year in third place. This period had Barcelona fans thinking, after three consecutive home defeats to Las Palmas, Leganes, and Atletico Madrid, also losing their star Lamine Yamal.
Hansi Flick’s Challenge
Flick faces mounting pressure to direct things back on track after the turnaround of things in November and December. With the start of the season filled with promises and hope quickly turned upside down, with inconsistent performances and unexpected defeats exposing pores in the team.
Criticism is evident at Flick, due to his overreliance on the same squad, leading to fatigue, as Raphinha spoke to ESPN. This form clearly disrupted the team’s rhythm. The injuries also add a challenge and raise questions on how Flick will counter this. Flick must look for solutions to improve defensive vulnerabilities and finish the chances. Players like Lewandowski do not show up in certain games, and Flick should be smart enough to look for solutions.
Can Barça Bounce Back?
After a difficult period, this new year break brings Barcelona a fresh opportunity to reflect on the mistakes made and learn from them. The same squad that impressed at the start of the season just needs to regain their form.
This is the time the players should step up, be consistent, and perform at a high level in every game. With half of the season still left, Barcelona must use this break and be back to their best. The focus should divert to the silverware, aiming for excellence in every competition the club is participating in. It’s time to leave behind the poor performances and bounce back.
In my opinion, Barcelona should go into every game with a winning mentality. Barcelona is playing really well; they are just falling short in front of the goal, failing to convert their chances. With plenty of season ahead, I expect bigger things. Visca Barca!