"FC Barcelona are set to enter into 2026 with the league position that Hansi Flick would have hoped for at the beginning of the season. Top of La Liga, 46 points from 18 games and a four-point cushion over Real Madrid make for good reading. The numbers are loud: 51 goals scored already, but the feeling is even louder. This is a team that plays with incisive attacking power, sometimes, even at the cost of defensive solidity."
"Europe, though, is where the mirror stops flattering. After six Champions League matches, Barcelona sit 15th on 10 points, inside the play-off places and outside the comfort of the top eight. The 3-0 loss at Chelsea is the sort of night that stains a mid-season report card. And yet, the season still feels open-ended in the best way: a Copa del Rey job done at Guadalajara, a potential Champions League top-8 berth and La Liga toppers."
"The best example was the game against Villarreal, where he was tested repeatedly and he answered them in the language keepers use - through saves, not speeches. The Spaniard has offered a sense of security between the posts that has been missing at the Catalan club for a long time and looks set to become one of the club's best signings in recent history."
Barcelona sit top of La Liga with 46 points from 18 games and a four-point lead over Real Madrid, having scored 51 goals. The team plays with incisive attacking power that often compromises defensive solidity, producing dominant nights and scrappy wins. Domestic form includes a Copa del Rey victory at Guadalajara and league consistency, but Champions League performance is weak: six matches leave Barcelona 15th with 10 points and outside automatic top-eight comfort, punctuated by a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea. Joan Garcia has provided goalkeeping security and looks a major signing, while Wojciech Szczesny has been relegated to a supporting role.
Read at Barca Universal
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