Barca manager Flick alters system in favour of more control following poor run

Barcelona returned to victory against Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but in an unfamiliar fashion as far as this season goes. Control was the name of the game for the Blaugrana, moving away from the more direct style.

With Lamine Yamal not there and Barcelona being injured by Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad at half-time, Hansi Flick opted to adapt his system for the match. Fermin Lopez played in the trio behind Robert Lewandowski with Raphinha and Dani Olmo, but behind the Brazilian and Lewandowski it eventually became much more of a diamond formation. Pedri and Lopez were on the sides of that diamond, exchanging with Olmo inside, and Marc Casado dropped deepest. It gave Barcelona almost complete control of the game, limited to two shots off target and 24% possession, according to Sport.

This is in stark contrast to their previous form, which saw Barcelona take on their opponents and favor a more vertical game with more chances for both. Perhaps without the difference that Lamine Yamal offers, Flick felt the need to better protect his backline given the damage caused by La Real and Celta.