Barcelona News and Analysis

The Transformation of Raphinha: Hansi Flick’s Impact on Barcelona’s Star Winger

30Oct

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

LaLiga

The Transformation of Raphinha: Hansi Flick’s Impact on Barcelona’s Star Winger

Under Hansi Flick's direction in 2024, Barcelona winger Raphinha has evolved into a far more complete and adaptable player, breaking through the earlier limitations that characterized his performances. Flick, who came in as a tactician reputed for his sharp emphasis on high pressing, efficient transitions, and empowering wingers like Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane at Bayern Munich, has unlocked a higher level of potential in Raphinha that makes him indispensable to Barça's attacking setup. Raphinha’s game now embodies an intelligent blend of technical sharpness, work rate, and versatility that has won over fans and critics alike. Not only that, but you can strongly argue that he's been the best player in La Liga this season and a legitimate Ballon d'Or contender alongside Harry Kane and...

LaLiga: Real Madrid’s hidden advantage vs. Barca, Atletico’s second-best player, fairytale Mallorca’s test

24Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

LaLiga: Real Madrid’s hidden advantage vs. Barca, Atletico’s second-best player, fairytale Mallorca’s test

The Mallorca fairytale faces a big test Mallorca aren't usually in the hunt for European places in La Liga, as they are traditionally a smaller club that spends its time trying to play spoiler to the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, bouncing in between the first and second divisions. Already, Mallorca made an impression on an international scale this season by nicking a point off Real Madrid on Matchday 1, spoiling Kylian Mbappe's long-awaited debut in the process. In addition to the draw with the reigning champions of Spain and Europe, Mallorca own quality wins over usual European hopefuls Real Betis and Real Sociedad. So after 10 Matchdays in La Liga, Mallorca sit sixth in the table with 17 points, tied on points with Athletic Club in fifth. This coming Monday, Mallorca will...

UCL Power Rankings: Aston Villa, Barca rise; Real Madrid stand tall; Don’t sleep on Monaco

24Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

UCL Power Rankings: Aston Villa, Barca rise; Real Madrid stand tall; Don’t sleep on Monaco

8. Monaco Sure, it was only Red Star Belgrade and then they couldn't even beat Dinamo Zagreb before that, but, looking at the bigger picture, Monaco have all the ingredients of a Champions League sleeper. Ligue 1 has quietly become a lot more competitive this season with a legitimate battle at the top of the table fought among PSG, Monaco, and Marseille, and in league play at least, Monaco look like the most complete side. There are familiar names to diehard football fans like former Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino, ex-Arsenal American striker Folarin Balogun, former Chelsea and Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, or 2018 World Cup hero Aleksandr Golovin. However, the biggest gems for Monaco are the next generation of stars who have yet to make it big in the mainstream. Eliesse...

UCL Takes: Hansi Flick world’s best, Manuel Neuer finished, why Lille are so dangerous

23Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

UCL Takes: Hansi Flick world’s best, Manuel Neuer finished, why Lille are so dangerous

Why Lille are so dangerous At this point, nobody is going to be sleeping on Lille. If a victory over the Champions League's most mythical side, Real Madrid, wasn't enough to awaken fans fro their slumber, then Les Dogues taking down another giant of Spanish football 3-1 surely must do the trick. It would be wrong to state that Lille dominated the game against Atletico Madrid, who had several great chances to pull ahead of their Ligue 1 opponents on Wednesday night. The difference is that they didn't take them, nor did they show the championship grit that was so typical of those famous Diego Simeone sides in the 2010s. Instead, it was Lille who buckled down with a bodies-on-the-line defensive approach while relying on the brilliance of their two main attacking stars to force the issu...

LaLiga Takes: Jude Bellingham’s best role, Barca’s best player, what ails Girona

22Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

LaLiga Takes: Jude Bellingham’s best role, Barca’s best player, what ails Girona

What is Jude Bellingham's best role in the 2024/25 Real Madrid lineup after Kylian Mbappe's transfer created positive stress for Carlo Ancelotti? Who is Barcelona's best player of the 2024/25 La Liga season thus far? And who can be Girona's new star after they lost Savinho and Artem Dovbyk? Here are key takeaways from around the world of La Liga after a goal-fest of a weekend in the Spanish top flight. Girona have no more star power Girona had already agreed to sell their best player, Savinho, to more powerful partner club Manchester City, and then later in the summer transfer window, they waved goodbye to the top goal-scorer in La Liga, Artem Dovbyk. Although Girona brought in La Liga veterans Arnaut Danjuma and Bryan Gil on the wings as loan acquisitions, their only striker signi...

UCL Score Predictions: Real Madrid and Liverpool on upset watch, Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

21Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

UCL Score Predictions: Real Madrid and Liverpool on upset watch, Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

Here are score predictions for the three biggest Champions League matchups of Matchday 3 of the 2024/25 season. Real Madrid vs. Dortmund Real Madrid will host Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night in a rematch of the 2024 Champions League Final, which Los Merengues unsurprisingly won 2-0 behind an inspired performance from 2024 Ballon d'Or favorite Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger scored the decisive goal this past weekend in a 2-1 win over underdogs Celta Vigo, while Dortmund also won 2-1 on Friday night against the scrappy St. Pauli, courtesy of a winner from their star man in new striker Serhou Guirassy. Dortmund are actually a little more dangerous this season thanks to Guirassy's presence at striker and a breakout season from younger winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, but as their ...

Barcelona could finally give Ansu Fati his first shot at a comeback

16Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

LaLiga

Barcelona could finally give Ansu Fati his first shot at a comeback

Barcelona have won their last two matches against BSC Young Boys and Deportivo Alaves by a combined score of 8-0, getting back to their dominant ways under new manager Hansi Flick in order to recover from a shock 4-2 defeat against Osasuna. At the October international fixtures, Barcelona sit atop the La Liga table, as they have truly boasted the most explosive attack in European football despite all the hype surrounding arch rivals Real Madrid, the defending Spanish and European champions. Barcelona have two dates with destiny in October against long-time Champions League nemesis Bayern Munich and then Real Madrid in El Clasico. Before that, though, they will face another historic La Liga side in Sevilla, who can be dangerous even when they are in their worst moment. The Blaugran...

Why Barcelona won’t go after a DM in the January 2025 transfer window

16Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

LaLiga

Why Barcelona won’t go after a DM in the January 2025 transfer window

Barcelona have been linked to defensive midfield help since the start of the 2023/24 season, as the club knew they would have impossibly big shoes to fill after club legend Sergio Busquets left for Inter Miami in MLS. The Blaugrana actually did bring in someone at the defensive midfield position, signing Girona veteran Oriol Romeu after a strong 2022/23 campaign. Predictably, Romeu wasn't at the level of Barcelona and quickly fizzled out. Barcelona have even tried Andreas Christensen in the defensive midfield. But at the start of the 2024/25 season, they unearthed a real gem in Marc Bernal, the latest academy product to show world-class potential and the right attributes to fit the style of Barcelona. Unfortunately, Bernal tore his ACL after just three games. You'd bet on the 17-y...

This is Joan Laporta’s priority transfer target for Barcelona going into 2025

15Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

LaLiga

This is Joan Laporta’s priority transfer target for Barcelona going into 2025

Barcelona could only make one major signing in the summer 2024 transfer window, and they initially tried to place all their eggs in Nico Williams's basket after his sensational Euro 2024 campaign. But at the last minute, the Athletic Club left winger decided to remain loyal to the club where his brother plays, snubbing Barcelona and leaving the Blaugrana to pursue their Plan B attacking upgrade. That backup plan was none other than Dani Olmo, and the former Barcelona academy graduate has played excellently for the Blaugrana so far in 2024/25, scoring in each of his three appearances before being struck down by yet another injury. Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski are firing on all cylinders as the actual best attacking quartet in La Liga, as new coach Hansi Flic...

The latest five goalkeepers Barcelona are monitoring as Marc-Andre ter Stegen replacements

14Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The latest five goalkeepers Barcelona are monitoring as Marc-Andre ter Stegen replacements

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a torn right patellar tendon in his right knee a couple of weeks ago during a 5-1 win over Villarreal, necessitating young backup Inaki Pena to step into the starting role. Since Pena has no consistent top-level experience as a starter, Barcelona immediately called up former Juventus and Roma starting goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to coax a man who was recently Serie A's best keeper out of retirement. Szczesny is now the unquestioned No. 1 in Barcelona, but since he was just retired, the Polish international is nothing more than a stopgap option for Hansi Flick and Co. Barcelona have been busy monitoring the upcoming January and June transfer windows for possible long-term replacements for ter Stegen, whose long-term future in Cat...