The night of May 18th, 2019, was a night of both joy and agony for the fans of FC Barcelona Femení. On this day, the team played their first-ever UEFA Women's Champions League Final that ended in a bittersweet 4-1 defeat by European powerhouses Olympique Lyonnais. This result was rough to handle, but no one would have thought or dreamt of FCB Femení reaching the finals of the Champions League when they were relegated to the Segunda just 13 years prior. Reaching this milestone made the club and players believe in the project, and the team continued to set new standards for women's football in Spain.
In the months that followed the final, the club saw major reinforcements in their attack with the arrival of Caroline Graham-Hansen from VfL Wolfsburg and the return of both Jenni Hermoso and Andrea Falcón from Atlético Madrid. Barcelona went on to impose themselves against their opponents in their unbeaten 2019-2020 league season, in-progress Copa de la Reina run, and Supercopa Femenina win, displaying dominance and breaking records along the way. One of the only question marks that remain on this season is if FCB Femení have what it takes to finally lift the Champions League trophy. Will they pose a challenge to the potential opponents in Lyon and VfL Wolfsburg? All things considered, do they have a realistic chance of winning the title? With the UWCL quarterfinals against Atlético fast approaching, it's time to evaluate the chances of Barcelona winning the European trophy that eluded them last year.
Strengths:
One of the most distinct characteristics about this FCB Femení side is their unshakeable "never say die" attitude that's been put on display in a way that we haven't seen in any recent year. After a trophyless 2018-19 season, it was evident that the team had the talent to succeed but were lacking the right mindset. Something clicked in the summer of 2019 that caused Barcelona to completely shift mentally, as they now train with more focus, play with more confidence, and reflect this mental strength more effectively during a match. This shift helped them maintain their motivation, resilience, emotional control, and overall well-being as a team.
One of the biggest examples of this newfound mental resilience is how they've dealt with their various injury woes throughout the season. There have been a lot of injuries to the players during the 2019/20 campaign, especially in late January when Jenni Hermoso, Mariona Caldentey, Caroline Graham-Hansen, Kheira Hamraoui, Stefanie van der Gragt, Aitana Bonmatí, Vicky Losada and Andrea Falcón were all injured at the same time. Instead of throwing in the towel like most teams would when half their starting XI is out, the team quickly bounced back and weeks later won the first edition of the Supercopa Femenina.
Barcelona celebrate their Supercopa Femenina win
Another example of this is how they've dealt with poor results. Considering that this is a lossless season for Barcelona, their two worst results of the season were two draws- the first of which was against Rayo Vallecano in September. After this match, the players stayed persistent in their drive to finally succeed in the league again and went on to win 17 matches in a row. Later in the season, just before the March international break, they managed to pull through with a huge win against Depor after 120 stressful minutes of constant attacking and no goals. Kheira Hamraoui sent in a header seconds before the match was supposed to go to penalties. They advanced to the semifinals of the Copa de la Reina and in doing that, the team proved to the fans and to themselves that they were done with crumbling under the pressure.
The team celebrates with Kheira Hamraoui after her 120th minute goal against Depor
Positional fluidity has been the key to Barcelona Femeni's success this season. This means that each player is able to play effectively in different spaces and take different roles, with the ultimate goal of penetrating the opponent's backline. For example, If you analyze the role of Alexia Putellas, one of Barcelona's best players this season, she knows exactly what a game is demanding at any given moment and adjusts her role according to those demands. She has the ability to play defensively, to create, and to get up top to assist and score.
These same characteristics can be found in players like Jenni, who can transition in and out of playing as a striker or a 10. Torrejón and CGH regularly switch positions and roles depending on the defensive or offensive needs of the team. Almost every midfielder is capable of playing in offensive or defensive roles and can regularly be seen adjusting to that in matches. This fluidity helps Barcelona open up spaces against opponents, who will quickly have to respond and react, inevitably making errors. This intricate reading of the game is inherent to the Barcelona system and plays a major role in their dominance.
A fluid system in which no outfield player is fixed in their set role has proved to be a tactical success for Barcelona this season. Going into the knock-out stages, this well accustomed tactical setup is essential if Barcelona are to win the Champions League.
Weaknesses:
FCB Femeni's constant and unaddressed weakness throughout this season has been their defense, but more specifically their full-backs. Since Barcelona adopted a style that imposes tactical fluidity, the full-back positions have been far from perfect. They often get into 2v1 or 3v2 situations when countered, which they have mostly managed to nullify with Mapi León at the heart of the defense. But against top-quality attacking teams likes VfL Wolfsburg and Lyon, Mapi wouldn't fully able to save them from disasters. There has been an improvement from the full-backs when the team is attacking, but they look lethargic and out of position when wingers with pace and dribbling ability run at them. We've seen quite a few matches this season when Leila looked fatigued and unaware on the left side of the pitch, frequently getting out of position and losing the defensive shape. If Barça wants to lift the trophy, they need to make sure Leila is more defensively solid and license Lieke Martens with more attacking responsibility.
Adding to that, Barcelona players have a mental block that they need to overcome when they play against teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, and Wolfsburg. We have seen quite a few interviews in recent times where the players downplay their abilities against the top competitors. Full disclosure, Barcelona's track record against big clubs in knockout ties isn't the greatest. The team has never won in the UWCL in 7 total matches against French opposition and lost the one tie they had against Wolfsburg in 2013-14, but it's imperative they don't allow their history to be a mental hurdle if and when they face them again. Barcelona are more than capable to break away from the history and move one step forward when they face off against the big dogs in a potential semifinal and/or final.
Let's take a look into the potential matches and analyze their possible outcomes.
Quarterfinals against Atlético Madrid Femenino:
Barcelona's first opponent returning to the tournament is their Primera División rival Atlético Madrid Femenino. This is all prefaced by saying that it's unclear whether or not Atléti will be able to play this match at all. This past week, Atléti released a statement that they were halting training after five players tested positive for the coronavirus. UEFA laid out rules some months ago regarding COVID positives for this exact scenario. Atléti must be able to play with 13 healthy players (11 starters and at least two on the bench). If there is no healthy keeper, the match can be rescheduled, and if the match can't be rescheduled, Atléti will be forced to forfeit. Due to the domestic season intending to restart in early September, it's difficult to see any knockout match being postponed if need be. This is an unrealistic scenario, but still possible nonetheless.
Atlético's official statement
Assuming everything goes to plan and the match continues as normal, Barcelona will still be playing at an advantage. Barcelona have had a more extensive preseason that allowed the current squad to regain form after five long months of being away from football. Atléti on the other hand have only played one friendly after a major squad overhaul this summer that saw multiple departures of starting players and arrivals who were meant to replace those starters. Regardless, Atléti should not be underestimated. They have been a pain in Barcelona's neck for years and are surely still aching to be a nuisance by exacting revenge for their trophyless season.
It's going to be difficult for any team to contain Barcelona's attacking quadruple of Lieke Martens, Caroline Graham-Hansen, Asisat Oshoala, and Jennifer Hermoso. Dealing with Barcelona's won't be an easy task either, their midfield looks to be well-drilled and compact which could prove detrimental when considering Atleti's chances.
Barcelona celebrate their goal against Atléti in the Supercopa Femenina semifinal
Barcelona's tactics against Atlético Madrid have been well documented. The two teams met three times this past season with Barcelona creating most of their chances using the wing. It should be anticipated that Barcelona will dominate Atlético by utilizing the two best winger-dribblers in women's football. Barcelona's directness of play and fluidity remain a thorn in the side for the first time quarter-finalists. On paper, Barcelona looks to be the team qualifying for the semi-finals.
Potential Semifinal against VfL Wolfsburg Frauen:
A matchup between Wolfsburg and Barcelona, if it occurs, would be the most highly anticipated match for the rest of the tournament. Barcelona will be coming into this match with a slight underdog tag, as the one time they met in Europe ended in the favor of Wolfsburg. Barcelona's chances of winning the tie are going to be largely determined by how well they defend against Wolfsburg's attack, namely Pernille Harder, Fridolina Rolfö, Alexandra Popp, and Ewa Pajor. Wolfsburg is one of the only teams whose forwards can compare to Barcelona's in terms of overall quality. Pernille Harder specifically has had a career-defining season and took top scorer honors with a Europe-high 27 league goals. She's more than ready to take on the challenge of winning her first Champions League title.
Barcelona's trump card should be the transition from midfield to wings against Wolfsburg's weak defense. Wolfsburg's defense is likely to get caught out when faced against the overwhelming attacking superiority that Barcelona has in their main four forwards. A major advantage Barcelona have over Wolfsburg is that they have former Wolfsburg player Caroline Graham-Hansen in their ranks. Graham-Hansen played for 5 seasons with the club and she would be very familiar with the setup, tactical approach, and weaknesses of the German side. This won't prove to be the deciding factor for Barcelona, but it could be an added fortune going into the tie considering she may have something to prove against her former club.
Speaking of Wolfsburg's vulnerabilities, they haven't made much of any defensive improvements over the summer and in fact lost defensive midfielder Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir to Lyon. Her absence was evident during the DFB Pokal final vs SGS Essen where they won on penalties but managed to concede three. This match was an example of Wolfsburg's drive and desire to win, but still encapsulated many of the issues they have yet to sort out. Wolfsburg look hungry, but Barcelona have shown that they have an equal drive to win. This match, if it happens, could easily be the best match of the tournament regardless of the outcome.
Potential Final against title favorites Olympique Lyon:
If Lyon make it to the final as they're expected to, there could possibly be a repeat of the Final from last season's Champions League campaign. Barça have learned a lot from last year's UWCL Final debacle and are looking much more prepared in every sense to fight for the European title. Barcelona's squad looked particularly thin last year when comparing full-strength lineups between then and now. Of the players in attack, only Lieke Martens still remains a starter. The summer following the final saw the departure of starting striker Toni Duggan who left to Atléti, which prompted the return of forwards Hermoso and Falcón. Winger Graham-Hansen also joined and throughout the season Asisat Oshoala established herself as a regular starter in the striker position. Additionally, starting defensive midfielder Patri Guijarro fully healed from her extensive foot injury. In comparison to last year, a full-strength Barcelona XI would have 3-4 major changes and a wholly different tactical approach.
When you look into last year's final, Barcelona had an extremely poor first thirty minutes where they conceded 4 goals. It seems that since then, they've corrected a lot of the mistakes that contributed to lack of conversion and defensive errors. This season, Barcelona conceded most of their goals between 60 and 75 minutes, when the outcome of the match was usually already decided. Despite their defense being one of their bigger concerns this year, they've improved overall on their defensive solidity and aren't likely to let the level drop like they did in last year's final.
Barcelona after their 4-1 loss to Lyon in the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final
Arguably Barcelona's single biggest weakness last year was the team's morale. Lyon are a massive club and have won the Champions League for years in a row, but Barcelona could never figure out how to shake the image that Lyon were invincible. This is another thing that's seemed to have changed between this year and the last, and their level of competitiveness has drastically improved. Barcelona proved this year in the domestic season that they can win titles again, they can have an invincible run, and that they can completely and utterly dominate. Last year, it was evident that Barcelona approached the final hoping that the loss wouldn't be too embarrassing. This year, they approach it like they actually want the win and are willing to fight for it. That's the core difference.
For a long time, there were claims that Spanish sides simply weren't good enough to match the heavyweights, but it looks like the Spanish league is finally starting to prove themselves to be a major European force. Like usual, Barcelona's women are at the forefront of this crusade, with this tournament being their best shot so far at establishing that reputation. In a way unlike any other season in the club's history, FC Barcelona Femení have a legitimate shot at winning the UEFA Women's Champions League.
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