Hansi Flick is undoubtedly a coach whose offensive brilliance often overshadows his defensive work. All we talk about is how good his attacking football is, which keeps his defensive setups unchecked. Let’s tackle the questions regarding Flick’s backline organisation and analyse them.
The Fullback Gamble of Hans-Dieter Flick
Hansi Flick loves to see his full-backs up the pitch and helping the wingers. During his Bayern days, we saw how Davies was almost a winger and Kimmich a playmaker. Similarly, now at Barca, Alex Balde has been a key piece in Barcelona’s attack. Kounde’s offensive contributions are also crucial as he is one of the major sources of crosses and in-behind runs from the right side.
Sure, these overlaps give width, but it’s a gamble that can get caught upfield. Opponents exploit flanks in transition, leaving the center backs scrambling. Hansi Flick has, however, implemented a great tactic. He uses a defensive pivot to complement the backline, such as Eric Garcia, to prevent breaks. Through this pivot, counters are broken before they’re started, and a backline of three makes the defense more secure.
The High Defensive Line and Sweeper Keeper
Another major trait of Flick is deploying a high defensive line to trap opponents offside. The German widely used this Tactic in his Bayern days and now implements the move here at Barca, too. It may seem like an attacking tactic to most people, but it’s also a brilliant defensive tactic. Here’s why.
It actually reduces the opponents’ time on the ball (possession). The backline pushes upfield to compress spaces and enable aggressive pressing. This cuts off opponent ball-time, and therefore, minimizes chances of attack. Also, Flick is a fan of ball-playing center-backs, which helps him keep more of the ball. The German also uses his goalie as a sweeper, who makes aggressive runs outside the box to sweep looming balls and complement the high line.
Zonal Marking and Immediate Recovery of Ball
Hansi Flick makes his defenders hold shape in a zonal structure. It makes them block passing lanes. And when the opponents move higher up the pitch, defenders aggressively close them down. It requires defenders to be structured but fluid, too.
In case of dispossession, the defenders are instructed to reset back to positions instantly. For instance, Cubarsi and Martinez are drilled to quickly get back into shape if they lose the ball. This helps prevent counterattacking windows. However, it’s a high-octane move that requires extreme fitness and awareness of the defenders.