Two teenage centre-backs and the need to rest the stars showed Barcelona’s limitations against Osasuna

“We have to rotate because there are a lot of games coming up in the next few weeks and players like Lamine (Yamal), Raphinha and Inigo (Martinez) have played a lot of minutes,” said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick in the minutes of the Spanish TV channel Movistar before the La Liga match. Game on Saturday in Osasuna.

Flick continued the rotation policy he has employed in recent weeks amid an extensive slate of La Liga and Champions League games. Pau Victor (21) made his first La Liga start, left-back Gerard Martin (22) and midfielder Pablo Torre (21) are the other relatively new faces in the team.

The least experienced of all was the young central defender Sergi Dominguez (19), who was starting his second senior game. His partner in the middle of Barca’s defense was Pau Cubarsi, a prodigy in his second season in La Liga but still only 17 years old.

It was a risk, especially given that Osasuna’s El Sadar Stadium is not an easy place to be – Vicente Moreno’s side had taken ten points from their first four La Liga home games this season.

The risk was evident just 17 minutes into the game. Osasuna winger Bryan Zaragoza’s cross was excellent and center forward Ante Budimir effortlessly slotted past Cubarsi and scored a header from six yards.

It was tough for the kids at the back, but no surprise. The stocky Croatian center forward Budimir is an expert at heading goals. Since arriving in La Liga in 2019, he has scored 20 goals, more than any other player in the league. He even scored two goals when his Mallorca team lost 5-2 to Barca in December 2019.

Flick was aware of Budimir’s competence in the air but felt he had no choice but to change his team. Barca have a lot of games at the moment, but also a lot of injuries and a squad that lacks experience in many positions. Of their four team captains, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong are all out with long-term injuries, while Raphinha was rested after every minute of the first seven La Liga games.

The rotations also meant Victor made his first La Liga start on the right wing. The former Girona player was in the picture for Osasuna’s second goal when he lost a physical challenge to Lucas Torro in midfield. With the Barca defense out of shape, Pablo Ibanez’s quick ball sent Zaragoza past Dominguez, who was unable to keep up. The attacker, on loan from FC Bayern Munich, coolly played past Barca keeper Inaki Pena before firing the ball into the empty goal.

Barca felt a foul by Torro on Victor should be disallowed, but the goal stood after a VAR review. The 2-0 result also adequately reflected how the game was going at that point. After 30 minutes played, Osasuna had fired five shots to Barca’s zero and the visitors were struggling to get any rhythm going.

Pau Victor celebrates his goal (Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)

Two of Flick’s young players were involved as Barca got back into the game at the start of the second half. Left-back Martin, who was very high up, intercepted a quick throw from Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. As Herrera returned to his line, he somehow let Victor’s weak 25-yard shot get past him, scoring his first La Liga goal.

The Barca coach now sent some rested players and the momentum seemed to be with the Catalans. But shortly after Lewandowski was substituted, Osasuna broke through behind Barca’s top line again. The unfortunate Dominguez obviously took out Budimir just as he was about to shoot. The Croatian got up and calmly converted the penalty.

Barca’s pain wasn’t over yet as Abel Bretones won 50-50 with Lamine Yamal from 25 yards out and the Osasuna left-back immediately smashed the bouncing ball past Pena’s dive into the net. Flick’s team had only conceded five goals in their last seven La Liga games, but were now down 4-1.

Yamal’s 20-yard advance made it 4-2, and in the hectic final phase, Ferran Torres headed the 17-year-old’s cross onto the post from point-blank range. But it was too late and Barca’s first defeat of the season was richly deserved.

“We have to accept this defeat, we didn’t play that well, we made a lot of mistakes,” Flick said on Movistar TV after the game, defending his decision to rotate the team. “It is my responsibility. I have to protect players who have played a lot of minutes. I don’t expect us to play like that. I told the team that we have to keep going. I think we are on the right track.”

🎙️ Hansi Flick and Pedri talk about Barça’s 2-4 defeat against Osasuna. #OsasunaBarca pic.twitter.com/mXgnsBr0Gb

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 28, 2024

Flick declined an opportunity to criticize the referee for not disallowing Osasuna’s second goal due to the apparent foul on Victor, but spoke up when asked why he had removed La Liga’s top scorer, even though his team needed goals.

“(Lewandowski) also needs rest,” replied Flick. “We have a game every three days. The team has done a really great job so far.”

That’s fair. Even after Saturday’s result, it’s still a great start that few would have predicted, given Flick was brought in last summer to replace former playmaker Xavi as Barca coach.

The seven wins from the first seven games included some impressive results – including a 4-1 win at Girona and a 5-1 win at Villarreal last weekend. Barca were better organized than last season and both Girona coach Michel and Villarreal’s Marcelino praised their pressing, a testament to Flick’s work on the training ground. It also appears that the team is now training harder as President Joan Laporta has ordered a greater focus on fitness.

Given this workload, the decision to rotate so heavily on Saturday evening was probably sensible. The problem is that there aren’t many experienced replacements for Flick. Due to Barca’s financial problems, squad players have been regularly released in recent transfer windows. Senior players Ilkay Gündogan, Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo, Sergi Roberto, Oriol Romeu and Marcos Alonso left Xavi’s squad from last season in the summer, with Dani Olmo, who was also injured, being the only senior player to sign for €60 million became.

Flick has gotten a lot out of his best players – Lewandowski, Raphinha and Pedri are all doing much better than they did last year under Xavi. Prodigy Yamal has also been in top form – the 17-year-old has scored five goals and five assists in nine games this season. But Barca cannot realistically expect a teenager to maintain this world-class form throughout the season.

Even before Saturday’s game at Osasuna, Flick repeatedly had to fill gaps in his squad. With Gavi and Fermin Lopez as well as De Jong injured, 21-year-old Marc Casado, 17-year-old Marc Bernal and centre-back Eric Garcia all had to be deployed in the middle of the park – an area so important to any Barcelona team.

Flick’s side remain at the top of the table with a four-point lead over their biggest rivals Real Madrid, at least before Madrid play at neighbors Atlético Madrid on Sunday evening.

The games are just around the corner for Barca, with a game in Montjuic against Swiss team Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday. Circled in the calendar is Flick’s former team Bayern, who are visiting for a UCL game on October 20th. Three days later the Clasico takes place at the Madrid Bernabeu.

Flick will want to get his possible eleven into the best possible shape for these games. He also hopes that everyone in the club understands the limitations under which they work.

(Photo: Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)