FC Barcelona’s strongest attack this season

Barcelona boasts of plenty fascinating raw young talents this season under Hansi Flick that I myself struggle to potentially tell who makes the starting lineup and who wouldn’t.

There are several options, but the objective is to find the right one. Build an attack where players shine because of their complementary strengths.

So, what’s Barca’s strongest attack in 2024/25?

Key Balance

One common mistake in football is assembling the most talented players in the starting lineup while you sit leg-crossed, waiting for rains of goals on the opponents net. 

This approach often overlooks two crucial aspects:

Synergy: Players who enhance or strengthen each other’s performance on the pitch through their unique strengths (complementary profiles).

Tactical Alignment: Players who perfectly fit the coach’s strategy and game plan (tactical suitability).

For instance, a manager who has a player that distributes brilliant passes needs another player to complement him with well-timed runs. That way he can take advantage of his passing abilities.

If you’ve been a fan since the era of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Villa, or Suarez, you would understand better. 

The fluidity, the chemistry, and the defense-splitting passes orchestrated between these maestros are perfect examples of tactical suitability and complementary profiles. 

Attacking profiles in Barça

• Lamine Yamal seems to be the spark on the list, as he’s the only player who averaged more than 2.5 dribbles last season.
• He’s also a top-level creator, as evidenced in his debut season and in the Euro.
• Barça have other chance creators in Ilkay Gündogan, Pedri, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres. 
• Off-the-movements/goal threat can be found in Lewandowski, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Ferran and in newly promoted Barça Atlètic youngster Pau Victor.

Pau Victor and Fermin Lopez are notorious goal-poachers who always find good positions in the box. The figures are there for all to see, and they’re quite staggering.

Lewandowski, highly experienced and nightmarish to defend against but he was a little bit lackadaisical which affected his final balls last season, we hope he ignites under his former manager Hansi Flick. 

Ansu Fati and Ferran haven’t been fully tested. The former is out injured, and rumor filtering the wave is that Deco has asked transfer guru Jeorge Mendes to use his enviable connection to find Ansu Fati a suitable club to help reduce player wages and free up space.

Attacking roles in Barça

Three games in the US preseason tour and a Joan Gamper Trophy final. While it’s only four games, which are all preparations for the season, there are still some clearly defined roles in Barça’s attack:

1. Intense pressure off the ball. Wingers defend wide and central areas.
2. The 10′ and striker lead up front (first wave of pressure).
3. Short distance between the front line on the ball (central passing combinations).

Right Wing: Lamine Yamal

• He’s the biggest difference-maker, as we’ve seen.
• A final ball specialist renowned for his pinpoint cross/chip into the box.
• Stylishly cunning with the ball and world-class at dazzling through the middle.
• 1v1 expert finessed with remarkable ball striking.

Lamine Yamal is young, confident, and a big game-player. He’s the first player you pick as a coach or manager. 

His abilities are also the ones you aim to maximize the most by creating the right surroundings.

The 10: Dani Olmo

Dani Olmo’s position is quite fitting, as he’ll have the freedom to drift into the right and left half spaces.

He’s outstandingly creative, unpredictable, strong, plus low center of gravity.

Dani Olmo is currently the best attacking midfielder in Barça’s team. He’s better in little spaces and at finishing than Pedri. 

While Pedri is great at creating actions out of nowhere and making a brilliant pass, having both in the team is a pure blessing every Culer will soon realize.

Left Wing: Raphinha

With Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo being the main source of creativity in the final third, Barça require a natural outlet who can constantly run into space.

Raphinha playing on the inside from the left lets him combine and move forward. He arrives very well in the box and can score in multiple ways. We saw this in the UCL first leg quarterfinal against PSG.

Lamine Yamal’s trademark cross to the far post requires someone like Raphinha. Barca also gets a natural left-footed player delivering inch-perfect crosses into the box to Lewandowski.

Striker: Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski will start; that’s a no-brainer. To get the best out of him, Hansi Flick must:

• Accept that he is a box center forward and give him the ideal service. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo can all do this.
• And limit his responsibilities on the ball and use his holdup to unleash his teammates between the lines.

You could point out that the physicality in the midfield that Flick used to have in both Bayern and Germany is lacking, and I wouldn’t contest against it. Mikel Merino would’ve been a great fit, but let’s see what the manager does with the depth he’s got!