Hansi Flick’s latest experiment with key Barcelona forward also proves successful | OneFootball

There is no doubt that the Brazilian forward Raphinha has been one of the players who has taken the most advantage of Hansi Flick’s appointment as the head coach at FC Barcelona.

Since the German tactician’s arrival, the former Leeds United forward has been playing to such a high level that he is not only one of the best players with the best statistics, 27 goals and 21 assists in all competitions, in the Blaugrana team but is also emerging as one of the clearest candidates for the Ballon d’Or award.

Meanwhile, his leadership skills and willingness to give everything for the team on the pitch make him an essential player for Hansi Flick, who looks up to the Brazilian to come up with solutions whenever his team is facing problems in matches.

As SPORT has noted, this was once again the case in the last match against Atletico Madrid, as the German tactician once again experimented with the Brazilian forward’s position with great returns.

In addition to his preferred position on the wing, Raphinha has also frequently played in a more interior position on the pitch earlier this season.

Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

But at the Metropolitano, he was seen in an entirely new role and position. With a 2-goal deficit, Flick decided to bring on Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres for Dani Olmo and Marc Casado, and pulled Raphinha into a deeper position on the pitch, as Pedri was the one who advanced higher up in the midfield.

Thus, Raphinha remained at the origin of the play and was frequently the player who received the ball from the center-backs to build up play for attacking moves.

Although this was not his permanent position, he was seen playing this role multiple times in the second half, and in one such instance, his ball ended up being the assist for Ferran Torres’ first goal.

Thus, the 28-year-old Barcelona captain showed his ability and willingness to play in a completely alien position, and was once again key for Flick, who will be happy with himself with yet another successful experiment.