Life is good for the Blaugrana.
They are leading the pack in Spain, and in the top eight in the Champions League, making themselves true contenders across all competitions.
They took down Crvena zvezda with ease, and have less than scary tests ahead against Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, and Brest. But that’s what makes the month of November so tricky.
You’re on high alert when you’re looking at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But trophies are won based on an elite team’s ability to seize the low hanging fruit.
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So far so good, and as a result, Flick has found a way to rotate his roster, giving time for injured players to recover, and keeping everyone else fit and ready to fight the next battle ahead.
Seeing Pau Cubarsí go down, however, was not a pleasant sight. He’s a warrior, and I’m sure he’ll be back on the field soon, but it would be nice to give the center backs a rest soon. They may very well be the most valuable players of the season.
On Wednesday, Barcelona utilized their trademark relentless attacking style to breakdown a much smaller foe. They also continued to show the promise, and vulnerability, of their high back line. There is still plenty for this team to learn. Not taking their foot off the gas will be essential in order to pass the biggest tests ahead.
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But for the most part, this team has been consistent, whether they’re playing the biggest or smallest teams in Europe. They attack and defend the same way, and no opponent has figured out how to counter their tactics effectively.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha continue to be goal scoring machines, but there is a big cast of characters making their mark from game to game.
Jules Kounde was hands down the man of the match, making it look easy with three second-half assists, and showing what makes this team click. Getting bodies forward, and creating a numerical superiority in the attack. Héctor Fort mimicked Kounde over the weekend, and Gerard Martín got to work doing the same midweek.
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Flick has the winning recipe.
The players know what to do. They have the talent and the tactics. But they can’t take the opposition for granted.
Winning is never easy. To keep it going, they’ll need to show they can be mentality monsters too.
