Hansi Flick achieved what no one has done in 95 years at Barcelona

Coach Hansi Flick has restored Barcelona to their best form after a brief decline. Additionally, the German manager led the team to break a 95-year-old club record.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick fielded the youngest starting lineup in Barcelona’s 95-year history in La Liga, with an average age of 23.34 in the match against Real Betis. The last time Barca played with such a youthful lineup was on December 28, 1930, against Racing Santander, with an average age of 23.09. This highlights Flick’s commitment to youth players as a cornerstone of his sporting project.

In this lineup, Jules Kounde (27 years old) and Marcus Rashford (28 years old) were the most experienced players, yet none had reached 30. The youngest players on the pitch for Barcelona were Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, both 18 years old. They were joined by seven others under 25: Roony Bardghji, Alejandro Balde, Pedri, Gerard Martin, Eric Garcia, Joan Garcia, and Ferran Torres.

Barcelona’s youthful lineup delivered a spectacular attacking performance, defeating Real Betis 5–3 at Benito Villamarín. Ferran Torres shone with a hat-trick, while Pedri’s vision combined with the brilliance of Rashford and Bardghji constantly exploited gaps in the opponent’s defense. Notably, the decision to experiment with Lamine Yamal in a completely new position by Hansi Flick changed the course of the game and could shape the young player’s future.

Lamine Yamal was regarded as one of the most dangerous right wingers in the world, but Flick chose to deploy him as an attacking midfielder due to injuries ravaging the squad. This was not a spontaneous choice: at 18, Yamal revolutionized the midfield by linking up with Roony Bardghji and Jules Kounde to form a numerical advantage triangle, constantly disrupting Betis’s defense through position swaps and shifts in team height.

Thanks to his tactical intelligence, Yamal moved fluidly from central areas to the right wing, while Bardghji dropped back to receive the ball and orchestrate attacks. It was not only Yamal’s talent but also Bardghji’s smart ball handling that forced Betis to double-mark Yamal, opening space for Ferran Torres, who made excellent use of the gaps to score.

Although Lamine shined in a role similar to that once held by Lionel Messi, his position on the field had clear differences, making direct comparisons inaccurate. Yamal started as an attacking midfielder with freedom to drift right, whereas Messi was given complete freedom across the entire pitch and acted as a comprehensive playmaker. Therefore, it’s not appropriate to measure the two players by the same tactical standards.

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