""We will see a better Barça, that's what I can promise," is what Hansi Flick declared on November 25 last year. He was speaking in the aftermath of a bruising 3-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge - a night where Barcelona appeared soulless, tactically paralysed by Ronald Araujo's early dismissal, and adrift from the virtues that had defined the early Flick era. At the time, the outlook was darkening. While the team sat just one point behind Real Madrid in La Liga, the sensations were worrying."
"Flick drew strength from that weakness, using his post-match address to ignite a fire within the dressing room. The response was immediate and statistically staggering. In the 18 matches preceding the Chelsea debacle, Barça had dropped points in six games, recording 12 wins, two draws, and four defeats. During this initial stretch, the team scored 48 goals but conceded 25, managing only four clean sheets."
Hansi Flick pledged improvement after a 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on November 25. That defeat sparked a mid-season turnaround. In the 18 matches before Chelsea, Barcelona recorded 12 wins, two draws and four defeats, scoring 48 and conceding 25 with four clean sheets. In the 18 matches after, Barcelona achieved 17 wins and one defeat (to Real Sociedad), scored 51 goals, conceded 15 and kept eight clean sheets. Defensive stability improved markedly, driven by goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who helped the team concede ten fewer goals and produced crucial saves such as against Espanyol.
Read at Barca Universal
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