It was Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri leading Barcelona to the La Liga title in Flick’s first season
Barcelona: Lamine Yamal offers a dazzling match, Pedri sets the pace and Raphinha scores a crucial goal as Barcelona won the La Liga title since Lionel Messi’s heyday.
Although his players have performed well in a sport, which also includes the Cup title, Barcelona’s success is largely due to coach Hansi Flick.
The former Bayern Munich manager took the core of a team that won nothing last season with Xavi Hern’ndez and turned it into one of the most interesting aspects of Europe.
Flick’s unnegotiable game plan is a ball that his players eagerly execute on the high court to restore offensive position. The result was domestic doubles and an unforgettable Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, with Barcelona just a few seconds away from winning.
Barcelona won the championship with a 53rd minute goal on Thursday, backed by a goal from Yamal.
“Flick has a big part of this title,” Pedri said after Espanyol’s decision-makers. “He has completely changed the team and this season is memorable.”
Here are other keys to Barcelona’s success in the 2024-25 Spanish League season:
Give the ball to Yamal
Yamal confirmed his status as a rising star in international football weeks before the club’s season began, when he stole the show in Spain’s European Championship victory.
He brought his outstanding performance to Barcelona’s season, and he gained weight in the offense during the campaign, as did his role as a vocal motivation.
When Madrid rose 2-1 in the final of the Cup Copa del Rey, his comments to his teammates summed up his and Barcelona’s mentality: “It doesn’t matter if they score one goal, it doesn’t matter if they score two goals. They can’t hang with us.” Barcelona went on to win 3-2.
Yamal led a few comebacks, which was Barcelona beat Real Madrid’s all four Krasisco with a 16-7 overall record, with two in the league: the Cup final and the Spanish Super Cup.
And, appropriately, he curls a shocker and leads the victory to win the title.
Reinvented Raphinha
If there is a player who symbolizes the renewal of Barcelona this season, it is Rafenha.
Raphinha blossoms from a soldier’s winger into a decisive scorer and team leader who can play in multiple positions.
The Brazilian striker scored 18 goals in the league, including Madrid’s 4-3 comeback, which almost determined the championship game.
Robert Lewandowski poured 25 league goals, and the experienced striker finished a strong top three, comparable to Messi, Neymar and Luis Su’rez’s Grand Barcelona Trident.
Their goals and the outstanding performance of right-back Jules Kound help prove the decision of club president Joan Laporta three years ago in selling future television rights and other assets so that Barcelona can sign Kound, Lewandowski and Raphinha as part of reinspiring the club to win.
Ferr’n Torres also became a super forward, especially when Lewandowski was injured later in the season.
Pedri, the man in the middle
Despite Barcelona’s striker’s outstanding performance, Pedri is the most essential player for Flick.
The midfielder has completed his fifth season at the age of 22, an undisputed starter who has run for the best of his campaign since he broke out for Barcelona as a teenager. He led the team in minutes and firmly established his own catch, successor to Iniesta of Xavi and Andr, thanks to his ball control, vision, passes and timing.
Pedri was helped by newly arrived Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi P’Ez, Ferm’n Lopez and Marc Casad, giving Barcelona the best midfielder in the league.
Pressure and high defense lines
Flick’s most famous mark on the team is its high line in defense.
Alejandro Balde, I’igo Mart’nez, Pau Cobars and Kound’s preferred defenders are masters who push the fields and coordinate perfectly to the spring deviate from the trap.
They compacted the space that opponents had to work hard and allowed teammates to flock and steal the ball for a devastating effect.
Wojciech Szczesny’s honorary nomination, who retired later scored a goal for injured Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
A young team for many years
Barcelona’s future looks bright.
Yamal led the youth sports at the age of 17, with Pedri, Gavi, Cuba, Fermn, Balde, Balde, Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati and Gerard Mart’n, and other youth team players used by Flick all over 23 years old.
The only player at the end of his career was Lewandowski, 36, and Martnez, 33.
So, overall, Flick’s Barcelona has the potential to keep the process moving forward over the years.
