Hansi Flick has already established a solid backbone for his Barcelona team | OneFootball

Despite a recent setback against Real Sociedad, Barcelona’s start to the new season has been excellent. The team soared to the top of La Liga, leading with 33 points out of a possible 39, which places them as the league’s leader.

In the Champions League, the team holds sixth place with 9 points, positioning them well for direct entry into the tournament’s round of 16.

Under Hansi Flick, the team’s performance has been impressive, even with obstacles from the start. Financial restrictions limited Barcelona’s activity in the transfer market, shaping Flick’s strategy as he leaned on a core group of players during these first months.

Despite that, the return from the players has been extremely positive. However, that has come at a cost of overburden.

A look at the numbers

Of the 26 players who have played this season, nine have accumulated over 1,000 minutes each. Barring the keepers, topping the list of minutes played, Inigo Martinez leads with 1,416 minutes, closely followed by Raphinha with 1,396.

Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski have played all 17 games for Barcelona this season. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Other high-minute contributors include Robert Lewandowski (1,393′), Jules Kounde (1,379′), Pau Cubarsi (1,325′), Lamine Yamal (1,310′), Pedri (1,223′), Alejandro Balde (1,176′), and Marc Casado (1,133′).

Among the players who are not usually a part of the starting XI or have not been able to be in the team due to injuries, there is a significant gap between Casado and the next highest, Eric Garcia, who has played 448 minutes.

Following Garcia are Ferran Torres with 430 minutes, and Gerard Martin with 378 minutes. The competition for a spot alongside Casado and Pedri in midfield has been tight, with Dani Olmo (361′), Fermin Lopez (322′), and Frenkie de Jong (245′) vying for a place.

When considering game appearances rather than minutes, five players—Kounde, Cubarsi, Pedri, Raphinha, and Lewandowski—have featured in all 17 matches this season, underscoring their essential roles.

Martinez and Yamal have both appeared in 16 games, while Balde and Casado have each been in 15, rounding off the list of Barcelona’s most relied-upon players in this early stage of the season.