The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo revealed that the duo Pau Couparsi and Gerard Martin have become the most relied-upon center-back pairing by German coach Hans Flick during the 2025/2026 season with Barcelona.

The newspaper stated that Flick has started Couparsi and Gerard Martin in 9 matches so far, including 7 matches in La Liga and one match in the Champions League, surpassing the Couparsi-Araujo duo who started in 7 matches.

According to the newspaper, this reliance came after the departure of Iñigo Martínez in the summer transfer window, when Flick resorted to repositioning Gerard Martin, who previously played as a full-back, converting him into a left center-back, which provided balance and stability to the backline.

The same source pointed out that the duo earned the trust of the coaching staff despite continuous rotation in the defense line, especially amid injuries and absences affecting other defenders, such as Andreas Christensen, which strengthened the presence of this duo in important domestic and European matches.

Despite Flick experimenting with other options, such as deploying Araujo or Eric Garcia in central defense, Couparsi and Gerard Martin remain, according to the Spanish newspaper, the most frequently used and stable choice in Barcelona's defense this season.