Barcelona are preparing to enter the most dangerous weeks of the season, but not with the weapon they are used to. Instead, they carry a shocking piece of advice from within the club to manager Hansi Flick: attack more slowly!
Winners of every match so far this season, the Catalan giants know nothing but victory. Now two trials by fire await. The first comes on Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League, the second on Sunday in the Clasico against Real Madrid. Both encounters could decide the fate of the season, even though we are still in October.
According to what journalist Santi Ovalle revealed on the programme "Carrusel" on the Spanish radio station "Cadena SER", Barcelona's board and the sporting director have sent Flick a clear message. The match against Paris cannot tolerate the open, trade-blow attacking style he applies against all opponents, because that would be suicide against Luis Enrique's team. The club believes the key is patience and possession.
Ovalle relayed the secret plan Barcelona see as capable of stopping the two-time European champions: "What we need is to keep possession more than ever before, to attack at a slower pace than usual, and to control Paris Saint-Germain's quick transitions."
This extreme caution comes from a never-ending Parisian complex. The French side won the last two visits. Last season, in the group stage, Paris turned the tables with two goals from Senny Mayulu and Goncalo Ramos in the 90th minute, after Barcelona had gone ahead through Ferran Torres, who now plays in the very shirt of Paris.
Before that, in the 2023-2024 season, Enrique's team knocked Barcelona out with a humiliating 1-4 defeat at the Camp Nou after Araujo was sent off and Dembele, Mbappe and Vitinha shone.
Barcelona's last visit to the Parc des Princes ended in a thrilling 3-2 win. Yet what happened a week later confirmed that winning alone is not enough.
Ovalle ends his report with a question everyone is awaiting the answer to: "We will see whether Flick listens to the board's advice and plays with patience, or whether he asks his players to follow the trade-blow attacking style as usual."
Logistical chaos has framed this packed week. After thrashing Real Betis 5-2, Barcelona were stranded in Seville when their flight slipped from 10 pm on Saturday to midnight, then to 2 am, then to 4 am, forcing Flick to take the players back to the hotel to rest. The scenario then repeated itself on Monday, with their flight to Paris delayed by thick fog in the French capital.