In an intense encounter that ended with a resounding 4-0 victory for Barcelona, one of the game’s most striking statistics was Real Madrid’s 12 offside violations, compared to Barcelona’s solitary offside. Madrid’s frustrations were palpable throughout the game, as two of their offside calls denied them goals that could have changed the momentum.
Hansi Flick, renowned for his tactical genius, seems to have injected a touch of Dutch football philosophy into Barcelona’s system, reminiscent of Johan Cruyff’s and Pep Guardiola’s approaches. Flick’s method emphasised structure and discipline, forcing Madrid’s attackers into offside positions repeatedly, which effectively neutralised their offensive firepower.
This tactical awareness highlights the profound influence Flick has brought to the team, aligning with his recent comments:
“I studied the Dutch football school a lot and learnt about Johan Cruyff… I am not far away from the idea Barça played before when they had this unbelievable success with Cruyff [and later] Pep.”
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This was not an accident but a high-level tactical manoeuvre: the way Barcelona players had positioned themselves to trap Madrid’s players offside time and time again. Throughout the game, the forwards of Madrid were frustrated with always finding themselves caught in Flick’s web of offside. If two of those hadn’t been called, Madrid could have flipped the game around on crucial goals.
Still, it wasn’t all about the back for Barcelona; there was complete domination of possession, and altogether, a seamless plan executed in depth by crucial goals and midfield control that brought back memories of the great Guardiola-led tiki-taka. This also means that with Flick, new energy and tactical acumen have poured into the team, and it is going to be a formidable force this season.
This performance underlines the genius of Flick’s strategy, proving that intelligent football doesn’t just happen with the ball—it happens off the ball, too. Madrid’s 12 offsides serve as a testament to Barcelona’s ability to read the game, anticipate moves, and execute their game plan to perfection.