The topic of Barcelona’s high defensive line under coach Hansi Flick is one that the football media at large seems entirely too obsessed with, and has been often used as a crutch to explain the problems with the Blaugrana every time they don’t succeed to avoid the hassle of having to do actual in-depth analysis.
Flick was asked about his high line at a press conference on Monday ahead of the massive Champions League clash with reigning back-to-back champions PSG, who have a formidable attack that
could definitely exploit Barça’s high-risk, high-reward defensive system.
The coach acknowledged the risks involved but also explained the keys to making a high line work, and focused on how the team’s high-risk defensive strategy has also led to a lot of attacking success (imagine that!).
“Playing with a high defensive line is always a risk, but the key is how we react and press when we lose possession, how we maintain distance between us, and if we do that well, there’s a huge advantage to playing with a high defensive line. We’ve only had one clean sheet [in the last seven games], but we’ve scored a lot of goals.”
Barça fans are well aware that Flick will never change his defensive ideas, and the evidence of this season suggests that Barça are more than capable of outscoring the vast majority of their opponents while also making sure their pressing is strong enough to limit the amount of times the high line will be exposed.
The squad’s structure this season — with the extra focus on controlling the ball in midfield with Rodri and Pedri and the ability to press from the front with Raphinha and Anthony Gordon leading the way — seems much better suited to Flick’s defensive style than last year, and Barça’s attack is so fluid, so dynamic and so overwhelming that the defense just needs to be above average to give them a real chance in every competition.
