Injuries from dead ball
While Barcelona were hoping to welcome Alejandro Balde back, Hansi Flick lost Jules Kounde. Ultimately, both full-backs were unable to travel to Italy for the second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.
“Injuries are unavoidable ,” Hansi Flick explained. Balde is still in the medical room after tearing his left hamstring on April 13, while Kounde suffered an injury in the match against Inter at Montjuic.
Barca will be without Kounde for the second leg. Photo: Diario AS
Flick was optimistic upon arriving at Giuseppe Meazza: “Eric Garcia, Araujo, Hector Fort, and Gerard Martin can all play in these positions and help us win .” He made no mention of Inigo Martinez.
In the Copa del Rey final , which Flick won 3-2 against Real Madrid , facing a similar problem, he brought Ronald Araujo on to move Inigo Martinez to the left wing.
“Flick asked me if I felt comfortable in that position, and I said yes. I gave it my all. Sometimes you have to play out of position ,” Inigo shared.
At 33 years old, the Basque player has to rely on his memories from his time in Real Sociedad's youth team to fill the left-back position – where he began his career.
“He is a true leader, always giving his all for the club. He is a great role model for the rest ,” Flick praised Inigo – who has played a key role in organizing Barca’s famous offside trap this season, as well as defending set pieces.
Flick is particularly concerned about defending the goal from set pieces. This season, Barcelona have conceded 19 goals from set pieces.
The serious issue is that eight of these have occurred since the beginning of April, with six of those goals conceded from corner kicks.
Dumfries comfortably finished the first leg. Photo: Imago
Barca's biggest weakness is Inter's strength under Simone Inzaghi. Four of the Nerazzurri's last five goals in the Champions League have come from corner kicks: two against Bayern Munich, and two in the first leg against Barca.
“That might be a good idea…” , Flick joked when some journalists mentioned not allowing Inter to take corner kicks. But then he said seriously: “I hope the players know what to do at the crucial moment . ”
Searching for solutions
Since the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, Flick has prioritized training sessions focused on perfecting set-piece defensive tactics. This wasn't just on the training pitch, but also in the video projection room, under the guidance of Tito Vilanova.
The German coach analyzed: "The reason is that we weren't in the right positions or didn't apply pressure at the right times. We need to defend set pieces better . "
According to the technical department, the two best players for defending set pieces are Inigo Martinez and Araujo. This is why the coaching staff is considering pairing them with Eric Garcia and Cubarsi. The alternative option is Gerard Martin.
The quartet of Inigo Martinez, Araujo, Cubarsi, and Eric Garcia proved effective in extra time against Real Madrid and in the second half of the first leg against Inter , after Gerard was tormented by Dumfries in the first half.
Both of Dumfries' goals came from corner kicks. Photo: Inter.it
However, the reality is that Araujo was poorly positioned in the situation where Dumfries scored Inter's third goal from a corner kick.
To alleviate their concerns, Barca are hoping for the return of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker is a reliable last line of defense in set-piece situations.
“He’s ready to come on as a substitute and will come on when needed ,” Flick said about Lewandowski’s situation. He was included in the squad list.
Lewandowski embodies strength in the penalty area and, above all, experience, which is crucial in a young team with the iconic Lamine Yamal.
“Lamine Yamal is a genius, but what’s important is the whole team,” Flick emphasized. “At the beginning of the season we didn’t know what we would achieve. Now we have two trophies – the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey – and the next few weeks will be crucial. We want to enjoy it . ”
Along with awaiting Lamine Yamal's energetic performance at Giuseppe Meazza to secure a ticket to Munich, Hansi Flick must help Barca overcome the fears stemming from a depleted defense and their vulnerability to set pieces.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/barca-dau-inter-ban-ket-cup-c1-noi-so-cua-hansi-flick-2398262.html
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