Revealing FC Barcelona's defensive weaknesses ahead of the clásico

FC Barcelona are facing defensive issues ahead of their clash with Real Madrid on Sunday, having conceded 15 goals in 12 official matches, due to individual errors and repeated goals from set pieces and shots from outside the box.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Barcelona has conceded 9 goals in LaLiga and 6 in the UEFA Champions League, including 3 goals from headers and 2 from long-range shots against Paris Saint-Germain. They also conceded goals from corner kicks against Rayo Vallecano and Paris Saint-Germain, while a goal from Galatasaray was disallowed in the same manner.

The newspaper added that individual errors contributed to conceding two goals against Levante and Racing Santander, the first due to a dangerous defensive pass towards the goalkeeper, and the second following an unnecessary dribble from Szczęsny.

Absences have increased the difficulty of the task for Hans Flick, who has used 10 different defensive formations in 12 matches. In the match against Paris Saint-Germain, he relied on Espart, Koubarsi, Gerard Martín, and Cancelo, amid the absence of several players, including Erik Garcia, Koundé, and Christensen.

The Spanish newspaper reported that Flick emphasized the need for calmer play, maintaining distances between players, enhancing defensive support, and avoiding losing the ball in dangerous areas before facing Real Madrid.