Barcelona are navigating one of the most difficult stretches of their season after a 1-2 home defeat to Real Madrid ended their nine-match winning run in La Liga. The loss cut their lead at the top of the table to three points, with Atletico Madrid now just two points behind in second. The pressure is real, and the timing could hardly be worse.

Off the pitch, the situation is equally demanding. La Liga has referred an alleged assault on Eduardo Camavinga to the Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary committee after a spectator struck the Real Madrid midfielder with a flagpole during the post-match celebrations. Barcelona now face potential sanctions, including fines or a partial stadium closure, as investigators review footage from the incident.

Flick's defensive options are also being stretched. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined, Jules Kounde is in a race against time to return, and Raphinha faces a 22,000km round trip to Singapore for Brazil's November friendlies despite the manager's pleas for reduced minutes. The captain suffered a muscle injury on the previous international break, and Barcelona are desperate to avoid a repeat.

To address the dip in confidence, Raphinha and Rodri organised a squad barbecue at the training ground, a player-led attempt to reset the group's mentality. Flick backed the initiative, but results will matter more than morale when Barcelona host Deportivo Alaves on October 31, with a trip to Atletico Madrid to follow on November 8.