A crisis threatens the comeback... A dire situation puts Barcelona’s dream against Atlético in jeopardy

Flick must now find urgent solutions to the crisis that emerged after the first leg and the derby against Espanyol.

Barcelona extended their La Liga lead with a 4-1 home win over Espanyol on Saturday, yet their celebrations were tempered by Gerard Martín’s half-time withdrawal.

Although club medical staff confirmed there was no injury, his withdrawal at half-time still prompted concern ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Atlético Madrid, especially given the team’s limited defensive options. 

Flick later reassured supporters, stating that the injury is not serious and that he expects the centre-back to be available for Tuesday’s visit to Atlético Madrid.

 His actual condition and role on Tuesday—whether he starts or is held in reserve as a precaution—will be confirmed closer to kickoff.

Hans Flick will be without several defenders for the second leg against Atlético Madrid. Andreas Christensen remains sidelined with a long-term injury and will not return this season, while Pau Cubarsi is suspended after his red card in the first leg.

His absence is a major blow to Barcelona’s defence, as he is a mainstay of the Barça line-up.

This season he has featured in 43 matches across all competitions, scoring once and logging 3,555 minutes on the pitch.

Ronald Araújo and Eric García are likely to start in central defence against Atlético Madrid, assuming Flick does not pick Gerard Martín.

The snag for Barcelona is that Flick has often deployed them out of position.

Araujo has started 33 matches across all competitions this term, yet he has recently operated as a right-back, even coming off the bench in that role during the first leg against Atlético.

Garcia, meanwhile, has been operating as a defensive midfielder recently, including in the first leg, so he too is rusty at centre-back.

With limited minutes alongside each other at the back, their partnership lacks rhythm and understanding.

 That lack of understanding could be costly against an Atlético side that excels at quick transitions.

Hans Flick does have another option, though it is far from straightforward: deploying Jules Koundé at centre-back. The Frenchman has started just four of his 42 appearances there this season.

Should he slot Kondogbia into the centre, Flick would then need to fill the void at right-back, possibly by deploying Araujo—though the Uruguayan cannot match the Frenchman’s class.

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