After defeating Atlético Madrid, reporters wrote a feature article analyzing Barcelona’s defensive issues, praising Gerard Martín’s contributions while noting numerous unresolved hidden dangers.
Following a sluggish start to the new season, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick stated that the team has made significant progress in all areas needing improvement. In previous weeks, the team appeared fragile defensively, struggled with ball control rhythm at critical moments, and the injury crisis exacerbated matters.
Against Atlético Madrid, Barcelona dominated for long periods but endured a disastrous performance from the frontline. Robert Lewandowski had a night to forget, missing multiple clear chances including a penalty. Before Ferran Torres—who came off the bench—sealed the victory in stoppage time, Atlético wasted obvious equalizing opportunities, particularly shots from Thiago Almada and Antoine Griezmann.
For Barcelona, the best news may have come from the defense—considering their severe shortage of defensive personnel, one player stood out as a surprise: Gerard Martín. The 23-year-old started his third consecutive league game as left-center-back, partnering with Pau Cubarsi at the heart of defense, with Jules Koundé at right-back and Alejandro Balde at left-back.
Martín was signed two years ago from local side Cornellà (currently in Spain’s fifth tier) for around €200,000. He spent the 2023-24 season with Barcelona B and made his first-team debut under Flick last season. It’s fair to say he is one of the less high-profile members of the squad. He was dribbled past just once throughout the game—a strong stat given he primarily faced Álvarez.
In possession, Martín touched the ball 81 times with a 91% pass accuracy rate. His performance made Flick realize the significance of having a left-footed center-back. While not Iñigo Martínez, he looked calm on the ball and natural in organizing attacks. He plays simply and neatly but also dares to deliver penetrative passes when opportunities arise. Deploying him on the left also allows Cubarsi to take up his preferred right-sided role in the defensive partnership. Overall, they showed good understanding while maintaining a high defensive line.
“Everyone saw it today. Our idea of playing Gerard Martín as a left-footed center-back worked extremely well,” Flick said at the post-match press conference. “It gave us more options in organizing attacks, and defensively, Balde pushed higher up, followed by Cubarsi and Koundé. They all performed exceptionally well. Eric García was also brilliant as a defensive midfielder tonight. It’s great to see how we’ve addressed our defensive issues.”
But back in pre-season, no one would have anticipated this scenario. The reason is simply that after a series of unexpected events, Flick has few other options at the moment. Firstly, 34-year-old Iñigo Martínez left to join Al Nassr just before the start of the new season, leaving Barcelona without one of their most important defensive players. This week, Barcelona granted Ronald Araújo indefinite leave with no clear return timetable, and the club is prepared to give him all the space he needs.
Eric García has impressed at center-back this season—but he has also performed well at right-back and has played as a defensive midfielder, a role he filled again last night. However, a closer look reveals that the defense is perhaps the thinnest area of Flick’s entire squad. The only first-team defender on the bench was Andreas Christensen, who hasn’t started a game since September. He has missed three games this season due to a calf injury, and his longest appearance in the past two months was a 29-minute substitute cameo away to Chelsea when the game was already out of reach. He also doesn’t seem to be part of Barcelona’s long-term plans. The 29-year-old’s contract expires in the summer, and he has expressed a desire to renew, but Barcelona has yet to take any action in this regard. Club sources say this situation is not expected to change in the short term.
This leaves Flick with just five players—Koundé, Eric García, Cubarsi, Martín, and Balde—to cover the four positions in the starting lineup. The coaching staff is also considering trying Koundé at center-back to provide more rotation options and allow Eric García to continue in the right-back role where he has excelled this season.
Despite the optimistic messages in recent weeks, this should be a cause for concern. Barcelona sporting director Deco has stated that the club does not plan to make any signings in the winter transfer window. However, looking at the current situation, perhaps Barcelona’s circumstances are not so optimistic. If there is one area where Flick has reason to worry, it is his center-back options. As always, the usual complexities surrounding Barcelona and transfers persist. Their wage bill still exceeds La Liga’s set limit. Registering new signings under current conditions would be complicated—in essence, they need to free up salary space first to be allowed to make additions.
