Five takeaways for Barcelona from the US pre-season tour

Barcelona have spent the last week in the United States of America as part of their routine pre-season preparation.

Needless to say, it was a critical period where several key players linked up with new manager Hansi Flick for the first time.

Over the past seven days, the Blaugrana have thus taken to the field for three exhibition games against Manchester City, Real Madrid and AC Milan respectively which gave the world a chance to see the team in action after close to two months.

Having gone trophy-less last season, the 2024-25 campaign will be vital for Barcelona to re-establish themselves among the elite.

With the season set to begin in under two weeks, the tour provided the manager with a stage to test his dynamics and the resources available at his disposal.

Barça Universal brings you five takeaways from Barcelona’s US tour.

Good early signs

The past week has given the world a glimpse of what Barcelona will look like under Hansi Flick and it is safe to say that the early signs look promising.

While the team did have their moments of collapse, they were largely inspired through the three games in the United States.

From purely a results perspective, Barcelona did not lose any game in 90 minutes and even beat Manchester City (via penalties) and Real Madrid. While they were the better team against AC Milan as well, they fell short in the eventual shootout.

Looking at the tour from a tactical standpoint, there is a lot to be inspired by. Flick’s new 4-2-3-1 system appears solid on the field with good numbers in attack and it is clear that the manager trusts the young academy stars.

Hansi Flick’s high standards

While the first glimpses of Flick-ball were indeed promising, the new manager’s first tournament with Barcelona has made it clear that he is not one to settle for less.

After defeating Real Madrid in his first El Clasico in charge, Flick did not hold back in criticising his team’s performance as added that there was a lot to work on in terms of off-the-ball play.

Barcelona have been attempting to improve their off-the-ball pressure for several seasons now, and while there has been tangible improvement under Flick, the manager’s attitude shows that he will not rest until implemented to the T.

Moreover, the intense physical training under the new coach appears to be paying off as well as the Blaugrana appeared significantly better in duels and stamina on the field.

Pau Victor’s case to stay

Barcelona have made only one official signing for the first team this summer – Pau Victor and the youngster has enjoyed a stunning debut.

The striker, who played for the subsidiary side last season, showed why he is a number 9 cut out for the Barcelona style and makes a strong case to stay in Flick’s plans.

Victor scored the team’s opener against Manchester City before bagging a sensational brace against Real Madrid in New York. Last night, he even provided a crucial assist for Barcelona’s equaliser against AC Milan.

A fox in the box by trade with a deft understanding of positioning and a good passing range, Victor has everything Flick would want from his striker.

The arrival of the young Marcs

It is now clear that the Blaugrana will not make any new signings in midfield, and heading into the new season, the pivot position bothered the administration.

The club’s decision not to turn to the market, thus, can only be explained by certain players impressing in the position on the US tour. Marc Bernal and Marc Casado from the academy were the duo who gave the manager confidence.

Casado was the player who played the most minutes on the tour with 229 minutes under his belt. He started all three games, was flawless with his distribution and split defences for fun with his passes.

Against AC Milan, the La Masia starlet made a staggering five key passes despite starting in deep midfield.

Bernal, meanwhile, was equally impressive in dictating the play in midfield. The teenager barely misplaced a pass, stood solid in transitions and showed maturity beyond his years.

The duo, needless to say, will be crucial to Flick’s plans this season.

Defensive worries still galore

While Flick’s side appeared solid in attacking transitions and creativity, the defensive void is still gaping. The pattern of goals conceded over the three games screams out for changes.

The Catalans conceded two goals vs Manchester City, one completely avoidable goal in the Clasico and the two goals conceded against AC Milan were perhaps the worst of the lot.

Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsi’s absence means that one cannot read too deep into the results but it is clear that the team needs to step up in defence.

Hansi Flick appears to prefer Jules Kounde at right-back, implying that Andreas Christensen, Pau Cubarsi, Erc Garcia and Inigo Martinez must handle the reigns in defence until Araujo returns.

It will thus be interesting to see how the manager lines his men up for the first official game of the season.