Another resounding victory with a five-goal margin saw Barcelona defeat Betis at home, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Three weeks have passed since the "Clash of Kings" against Atletico Madrid, and the Blaugrana have restored their confidence through consecutive victories on the cup stage. Flick has methodically solved tactical conundrums, and the return to form of the injured Yamar has further bolstered hopes for the team's future. Emerging from the Shadows of "The Clash of Kings," Starting the New Year with Consecutive Wins Starting with the defeat at Anoeta, Barcelona entered a turbulent period lasting over two months, losing 16 points in eight league matches. By the halfway point, they were six points behind the top, with Yamar's two injuries tugging at the heartstrings and frequent player registration issues causing endless troubles. Considering Flick's experience of starting strong but faltering later during his tenure at Bayern Munich and the German national team, public opinion generally held a pessimistic view of the Blaugrana's prospects. Facing tactical challenges such as how to enrich and perfect the offside trap, whether to adjust the defensive mode and backline personnel, and how to organize attacks in Yamar's absence... a series of tactical questions lay before him, and Flick's choice of a "laissez-faire" approach was surprisingly unexpected. In the final match, despite dominating, Barcelona lost to Atletico Madrid. However, neither Flick nor the players were disheartened; the epic victory in the Spanish Super Cup final was enough to reverse the season's trajectory. Real Madrid adopted a defensive counter-attacking stance, and…

In the La Liga match that concluded on January 19th, two title contenders, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, both suffered unexpected setbacks. After Atletico's 0-1 defeat to Leganes away from home, it presented Barcelona with an opportunity to close the gap in points, but Barcelona only managed to secure 1 point this round. Similarly, in their away match against Getafe, Barcelona took the lead with a goal from Kounde, only for Aillabarri to equalize for Getafe. The young player, known as "Barca Kid," did not perform well in this game, and it's time for Barcelona to give him a wake-up call. In the 1-1 draw, the 17-year-old rising star had 7 shots without scoring and lost possession 24 times, frustrating Lewandowski with a showy cross. In the 9th minute of the game, Pedri delivered a precise through ball, piercing through Getafe's defense. Kounde's initial shot was blocked, but he followed up to score, giving Barcelona a great start. In the 34th minute, Getafe's Dakosta's volley was saved by Pena, but it rebounded off Aillabarri, who gratefully deflected the ball into the net. Neither team could change the scoreline for the rest of the game, ending in a draw. Currently, Atletico leads La Liga with 44 points after 20 rounds, followed by Real Madrid with 43 points after 19 rounds, Barcelona with 39 points after 20 rounds in third place, and Athletic Bilbao with 36 points after 19 rounds in fourth. Real Madrid has a chance to top the league, so Barcelona needs to step up their efforts. In the match against…

Araujo, who has been a key player for Barcelona and considered by fans as a future top-tier defender, seems to have had a falling out with the club. Barcelona is now aware that Araujo will not be renewing his contract and is looking to resolve the issue of his departure. The team's situation this season has been relatively good, with Lewandowski attempting to persuade Araujo to stay until after they win the championship. However, Araujo declined Lewandowski's offer and bid farewell to his Barcelona teammates after the Spanish Super Cup. Juventus and Araujo have reached an agreement on personal terms, leaving only the negotiation of the transfer fee between Barcelona and Juventus. Araujo's abilities are undoubtedly top-notch; otherwise, Barcelona wouldn't have focused on training him and offered him a top-level contract. But due to his physical issues and frequent injuries over the years, Barcelona is cautious about offering him the highest salary within the team during this renewal period, which led to Araujo wanting to leave abruptly. Juventus, however, remains confident in Araujo, believing that with high wages and guaranteed playing time, he can become the best defender in the world. As Barcelona's captain, Araujo's decision to leave during the winter transfer window has had a negative impact. Barcelona has been unable to convince him to stay, and Juventus initially offered only 45 million euros. However, with Barcelona unwilling to let him go, Juventus increased their offer to 50 million euros, indicating that they are prepared to let Araujo go.

Due to Lewandowski showing signs of aging, Barcelona needs to find a suitable center forward rotation or a qualified central attacking player. Considering Barcelona's limited budget, obtaining Rashford through a loan might be a good solution. If this transfer is completed, it has the potential to benefit Barcelona, Manchester United, and Rashford in the next six months. Lewandowski's value at Barcelona extends beyond scoring goals; he also contributes significantly through his frequent withdrawals, ball control, and link-up play. Rashford possesses some ability to withdraw into midfield, although he does not typically occupy the central position, often positioning himself closer to the midfield flanks or even the wings. However, one crucial aspect is that Rashford performs well with long passes and ball distribution after withdrawing, and he can quickly return to the front line. This makes Rashford a tactically reasonable choice as a rotational option for Lewandowski. There is an issue, though: Rashford is reluctant to participate in defense. He has low efficiency in high pressing and often stands still when tracking back on the flanks. This makes it challenging for Rashford to play as Barcelona's winger or as the central striker for the full 90 minutes (without high pressing, dribbling can lead to easy turnovers). He is more likely to be used as a substitute. It's worth noting that in recent matches, Lewandowski is often substituted around the 60-70-minute mark, which has become Flick's standard practice. This provides Rashford with stable playing time and a defined role as a late-game substitute. Another important point is that Rashford's value lies in…

On the morning of January 13th, Beijing time, the Spanish Super Cup reached its final match. Real Madrid, with a total value of 1.23 billion euros, faced off against Barcelona, valued at 1.02 billion euros. In the semi-finals of the West Super Cup, Real Madrid defeated Mallorca 3-0, securing their fifth consecutive victory in all competitions. Notably, the "Galactic Battleship" had just won the Intercontinental Cup on December 19th and was looking forward to stepping over Barcelona to claim another title, aiming to lift two championship trophies within a month. Barcelona, after an explosive start, experienced a prolonged slump. In the semi-finals of the West Super Cup, Athletic Bilbao had two goals ruled invalid, but Barcelona managed to advance to the final with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, also welcoming their first double victory in a long time. It's worth noting that the two teams have already met this season in La Liga, with Flick leading his team to a 4-0 away victory over Real Madrid. After the opening whistle, both teams wasted no time in testing each other, quickly ramping up the pace of the game to its fastest, much to the delight of the fans. In the second minute, Barcelona had a chance, with Yamar's shot heading straight for the corner, but Courtois made a heroic save. Just one minute later, facing Rafinha's powerful header from close range, Courtois once again made a perfect save. In the blink of an eye, Real Madrid scored. In the fifth minute, Vinicius made a steal in the frontcourt, and…

For Barcelona, the team has shown signs of starting strong but fading in the current season. Over the past period, Flick's team has consistently failed to deliver performances that meet expectations, causing them to lose their advantage on the league standings and hand over the initiative to their competitors. At present, after resolving issues with player registration, Laporta is working hard on several key transfers in an attempt to build a more competitive team for Flick. Overall, the main reason why Barcelona is still hovering at the edge of financial balance is due to high salary expenditures. In the first team, there are high-paid players such as Lewandowski, Frankie de Jong, and Ansu Fati. Among these players, Lewandowski's performance this season has been quite good, with already 25 goals scored. However, in the recent period, Lewandowski's form has significantly declined, failing to score in 4 out of 5 consecutive games. Considering Lewandowski's age of 36, this decline is likely irreversible. Therefore, with his contract still having one and a half years left before expiration, Barcelona has actually started preparing for Lewandowski's transfer. If they can find him a new club, the team can save 33.33 million euros in salary expenses each season. Compared to Lewandowski, who has at least made a good contribution to the team this season, Ansu Fati has become a "marginal player" in terms of competition. On the forward line, Ansu Fati is Flick's last choice, having only played 4 times in the league this season, with only 1 start and a total playing time of only…

Raphinha, the Brazilian star, has rewritten his own legend at Barcelona with his individual efforts. This legend began from an unknown young player gradually growing into the core figure of the team today. Now, let's explore his career journey together, from Brazil to the brilliant journey of the top European leagues. From Obscurity to Team Core Raphinha's career can be traced back to a small town in Brazil, where he was gifted and joined one of Brazil's famous youth training clubs in his teenage years. Despite not having superior conditions, his diligence and efforts quickly caught the attention of various clubs. In Brazil, he quickly stood out and eventually won a contract to join the European league. His early European career was not smooth sailing. In the Premier League's Leeds United, he went through an adaptation period and gradually became an important member of the team. Through his relentless efforts and outstanding performances, Raphinha proved his abilities in the game, becoming an indispensable offensive weapon for the team. In 2021, when Raphinha joined Barcelona, he reached a critical turning point in his career. Many people had high hopes for this Brazilian star, but his actual performance far exceeded expectations. At Barcelona, Raphinha quickly integrated into the team, and his skills and creativity rejuvenated the team's offense. His outstanding performances in multiple key matches undoubtedly proved that he had become a core force within the team. This Season's Raphinha: Data Tells All For a football player, data is often the most direct proof. This season, Raphinha's statistics are particularly impressive. He…

In the La Liga arena, Barcelona suffered a 1-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid. This loss may seem like just a single game's failure, but it is actually the concentrated outbreak of a series of problems. The team experienced its first loss in five years, which seems to be reminding everyone that Barcelona's current situation is not as glamorous as it appears on the surface. Why has this once world-renowned team become so vulnerable? What caused them to fall from their peak and struggle on the road to the championship? To highlight the bright spots of Barcelona this season, one must mention the "youth storm" from La Masia. Young talents such as Ansu Fati, Gavi, Pedri, and Ferran Torres have indeed impressed with their performances. Under Xavi's promotion, they have stepped onto the stage, proudly displaying the name of La Masia. This is an exciting feeling that has been long-awaited, as the youth academy is the lifeblood of Barcelona, and the emergence of these young players has once again ignited fans' confidence in the future. However, problems have arisen alongside this youthful energy. Youth is a double-edged sword. The young players' determination is commendable, but their lack of experience has led to frequent failures in key matches. For example, in the match against Atletico Madrid, young player Ansu Fati struggled to adapt to the pressure, directly leading to a loss of control in midfield. Combined with injuries to players like Ousmane Dembele, the shortcomings of the youthful lineup are magnified - they may represent the future, but they are clearly not…

A match in the third round of the King's Cup saw Barcelona face off against Bawastro. Barcelona has fallen behind in the league, trailing Real Madrid by 5 points and Atletico Madrid by 3 points, only able to rank third. It is surprising how quickly Barcelona, which played so well at the beginning of the season, has declined. In the last seven league matches, Barcelona has won only one game, which is quite unbelievable. In the last two games, Barcelona lost both, first to Leganes and then to Atletico Madrid. This time, on the King's Cup stage, Barcelona faced Bawastro, a team from the Xieyi League. This was a must-win game for Barcelona. As a result, Barcelona swept Bawastro and advanced to the next round. In this game, Barcelona lined up in a 4231 formation. Lewandowski led the attack upfront. The attacking trio of Fermin Lopez, Pedri, and Torre worked together. Eric Garcia and De Jong formed the double pivot in midfield. Gerard Martin, Inigo Martinez, Araujo, and Kounde started as the four defenders. Szczesny was the starting goalkeeper. Soon after the start of the game, Barcelona created a threat, with Kounde heading for goal, but unfortunately, he missed. Four minutes later, Lewandowski headed for goal from the middle of the penalty area, also missing. In the 19th minute, Barcelona used a corner kick opportunity to create a chance, with Araujo heading close-range, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly and saved the ball. In the 21st minute, Barcelona finally scored. Araujo received a cross in the penalty area, headed the ball…