FC Barcelona enter the October FIFA window top of the La Liga table, despite a severe injury crisis that encompasses all position groups within the squad. First year manager Hansi Flick is off to a great start in Catalonia, thanks to formidable front line that truly embodies the club’s hashtag #ForcaBarca.
Following a 3-0 win at Alaves, the Blaugranes have now scored 28 goals in nine games, far and away from the rest of the pack in the Spanish top flight.
Arch-rivals Real Madrid are the next closest, in goals scored, and they only have 19. It’s not quite the “CMS” line, but it is very formidable in its own right.
Robert Lewandowski (10 goals, two assists), Raphinha (five goals, four assists) and Lamine Yamal (four goals, five assists) have been leading the way for a team that must simply score a lot of goals in order to win; given that they have lost their No.1 goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, for the season due to injury.
“Of course we are working on [the chemistry between them],” Flick said in his postgame press conference today, when he was asked how much effort has gone into making the front line click on all cylinders.
“Every training and when you have meetings, you show them from the tactical side and also positions are very important. They are doing great and the dynamic from these players is unbelievable and helps us a lot.
“At the end, we score so many goals which is good for us and helps us also for the next matches to have this confidence in our game, in our idea to play football.
Up next for Flick and the Catalan club is a home clash against Sevilla on October 20.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.