After several games that made them seem invincible, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona finally get humbled in La Liga. For various reasons, the game at El Sadar against CA Osasuna did not go the way the German coach would have hoped for. Unfortunately, the match is now over and so is the winning streak for Barcelona.
It was always well-known heading into this season that this squad that Hansi Flick inherited was one that would struggle in terms of depth. While La Masia continues to provide exceptional talents that can fill those spaces to some degree, these players are still teenagers who are only grasping the concept of first team football. Expecting them to take over while other first team players are given some rest is a bold and courageous method that Hansi Flick is relying on, but it will not always work out in his favor.
That is why, as highlighted by SPORT, it would seem that Osasuna have finally exposed the dangerous shortcomings of this Barcelona team. By resting several key first-team players, Hansi Flick ended up seeing his team be butchered to pieces by a much more mature Osasuna side.
This courage that the German tactician has continuously shown this season has its perks, but it simultaneously also has its own downsides. Unfortunately, those downsides were exploited thoroughly by Osasuna at their home stadium and it led to a frustrating 4-2 defeat for Barcelona.
As a result of that, SPORT raises the question over whether this was the right time for Hansi Flick to be courageous or if he ended up being reckless instead. Given the form that Osasuna has been in, especially at home, it was perhaps not the best idea to rest so many regular starters simultaneously.
With this defeat, Barcelona fall to the same opponent that Tata Martino also saw his winning streak end to all those years ago. For now, La Blaugrana remain at the top of the table but the result of the upcoming Madrid derby could end up being crucial in determining just how concrete their lead at the top of the table can remain.