Barcelona’s torrid opening vs Sevilla dubbed the worst 39 minutes of Flick era

Spanish coverage described Barcelona’s opening 39 minutes against Sevilla as the worst stretch of the Hansi Flick era, sparking heated debate over tactics and selections. While the team recovered phases later, the initial collapse revived questions about structure, pressing triggers, and ball security under Flick’s 4-2-3-1. The coach pushed back on calls to overhaul the system, insisting the problem is big individual mistakes rather than shape. Online, fans demanded a return to 4-3-3 with Frenkie de Jong as the single pivot, Pedri and Marc Casadó breaking lines, and bolder choices up front—benching Robert Lewandowski for Ferran Torres to re-energize the press.

Post-match analysis in Spain intensified after the Sevilla fixture, with a prominent evening program asserting Barcelona’s first 39 minutes were the poorest football of Hansi Flick’s tenure. In subsequent media comments, Flick rejected the premise that a formation change is the cure-all, emphasizing error reduction over systemic overhaul. Fan discourse zeroed in on structure, the midfield’s balance without key profiles, and attacking work rate.

🚨 The first 39 minutes against Sevilla are the worst of the Flick era in terms of football. — @partidazocope

@BarcaUniversal

Impact Analysis

Labeling the first 39 minutes against Sevilla as the nadir of the Flick era shines a floodlight on Barcelona’s transitional phase. Under Flick, the blueprint leans on high pressing, verticality, and quick circulation, commonly arranged in a 4-2-3-1 that can morph into a 2-3-5 in settled possession. When execution falters—especially in the first phase—possession becomes rushed, distances stretch, and the counter-press loses bite. Sevilla exploited this by baiting the first line and striking into vacated half-spaces.

The crux is less ideological than operational: shaky rest-defense behind advanced fullbacks, misaligned pressing cues from the nine, and a double pivot that can be bypassed when distances grow. The supporters’ call for a 4-3-3 with Frenkie de Jong at the base and interior eights (Pedri, Marc Casadó) speaks to restoring shorter lanes and cleaner exits through a single pivot—a structure that naturally stabilizes rest-defense (3-2) behind the ball. Up front, advocating Ferran Torres over Robert Lewandowski prioritizes intensity and horizontal pressing coverage, even at the expense of penalty-box gravity.

Flick’s stance—“it’s not the system, it’s big mistakes”—isn’t a dodge: at elite level, three or four bad decisions in buildup unravel everything. Yet, consistent early-game turbulence suggests micro-tactical retuning is needed: clearer press triggers, a deeper initial fullback on the far side, and more deliberate first passes to draw Sevilla’s block before breaking lines.

Reaction

Fan sentiment fractured sharply. A large contingent echoed @3tiran’s tactical prescription: revert to 4-3-3, restore Frenkie as the single pivot, and unleash Pedri plus Marc Casadó as line-breakers. The call to bench Lewandowski in favor of the higher-pressing Ferran Torres dominated replies, framed not as an indictment of Lewandowski’s finishing but as an urgent fix for first-line pressing cohesion. Many were exasperated by the recurring refrain of “we’ll learn,” with @Elite_OG_02 arguing that the dropped points will matter long before those lessons bear fruit.

Others pointed to pattern-recognition narratives, like @belykchief’s cheeky reference to Flick’s “second-season” history—a thinly veiled warning that tactical drift and stagnation can harden quickly if not tackled. Some comments, like @Pedri8Ista’s quip about Osasuna and Las Palmas, underscored anxiety about supposedly manageable fixtures turning into traps if intensity dips. There was also the usual algorithmic cross-chatter—finance plugs and off-topic polls—highlighting how noise can drown out substantive tactical debate on large platforms.

Notably, a minority defended the coach’s consistency, aligning with Flick’s focus on error mitigation over shape-shifting. They argue that constant structural tinkering may deepen instability, and that better spacing, cleaner first touches, and coordinated press timing will unlock the existing model’s upside. Net-net, the mood skews critical but solution-oriented: change the behaviors, and if needed, the shape.

Social reactions

I think we can't compete in all competitions this year too. Atleast try to win league .

Rohit (@indian7172)

I was calling for Olmo and Lewa to be subbed from the 15 min mark to avoid the seemingly inevitable of Sevilla doubling their lead while Barca was playing with only 9 players

Jovaughn Rodney (@jovyrod)

They didn't know what to do

Gosome (@igosome)

Prediction

Short term, expect Flick to hold his core game model while making pragmatic, opponent-specific tweaks. A likely adjustment is a quasi-4-3-3 in the first phase: Frenkie de Jong anchoring with an interior sliding low to create a stable 3-2 rest-defense. Expect the far-side fullback to stay deeper early, limiting transitional exposure. In attack, we could see Ferran Torres start more often, either wide or as a pressing nine in specific game states, to re-synchronize the front-four’s triggers.

Personnel-wise, Lewandowski’s minutes may be managed more tactically rather than reputationally—starting when box presence is paramount, rotating when pressing and field-tilt are the priority. Pedri’s role should skew toward receiving behind the first line rather than constantly coming short, allowing him to break Sevilla-style mid-blocks with third-man runs and wall passes. Marc Casadó’s inclusion as an interior disruptor could rise, especially in fixtures where ball-winning and cover shadows are vital.

If the early-minute volatility persists across the next 3–5 league matches, internal pressure will shift from “minimize errors” to “recalibrate structure,” likely catalyzing a formal 4-3-3 base with clearer height for the wingers and a stricter rest-defense. Conversely, a clean sequence of controlled first halves will validate Flick’s stance, quiet the noise, and reframe the Sevilla spell as an outlier rather than a trend.

Latest today

• Flick’s reset after twin defeats: Szczęsny echoes the message; Eric García closing in on new Barcelona deal Flick’s reset after twin defeats: Szczęsny echoes the message; Eric García closing in on new Barcelona deal
• Szczęsny backs Flick’s ‘ego kills success’ warning after Barcelona’s draw with Rayo Szczęsny backs Flick’s ‘ego kills success’ warning after Barcelona’s draw with Rayo
• Gerrard’s candid admission adds fuel to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid links Gerrard’s candid admission adds fuel to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid links
• Manchester United hold face-to-face talks to extend Harry Maguire contract before June expiry Manchester United hold face-to-face talks to extend Harry Maguire contract before June expiry

Conclusion

Barcelona’s stuttering start in Seville was a bright, unflattering mirror. Flick’s doctrine relies on synchronized aggression and brave circulation; when touch, spacing, and timing desert the XI, the whole edifice wobbles. That doesn’t make the model wrong, but it does make the margin for sloppy decisions microscopic. The coach’s message—cut the big mistakes—rings true, yet the pattern of early-game disarray argues for slight structural safeguards: a steadier rest-defense, clearer pressing hierarchies, and personnel choices that privilege intensity while form ebbs and flows.

Supporters aren’t calling for ideological revolution; they’re asking for alignment between the team’s risk profile and its current availability and form. A judicious 4-3-3 tilt in build-up, targeted use of Ferran’s press, and empowering Frenkie as the stabilizing metronome could reconcile principles with pragmatism. Do that, and the “worst 39 minutes” becomes an inflection point rather than a prophecy. Fail, and it becomes a pattern others in La Liga will eagerly weaponize.