Flick's Barcelona Matches Two Negative Records from the Rijkaard Era

The defeat of FC Barcelona against Atlético de Madrid (1-2) left Hansi Flick's team very shaken after the first half of LaLiga. The team recorded its third consecutive home loss and the fifth defeat of the championship, thus equaling two negative streaks not seen since Frank Rijkaard managed the azulgrana team two decades ago.

Barça closed the first half of the Spanish championship with 38 points out of a possible 57. This is the third worst record for the Catalans in the last 20 years, as since the 2003/04 season (the first with Rijkaard at the helm), there have only been two worse first halves than that of the 2024/25 season. The record dates back to the 2021/22 season, when Barça had three coaches in the first 19 matches of the tournament.

The culés barely accumulated 27 points with Ronald Koeman, Sergi Barjuán (interim), and Xavi Hernández, finishing eighth. A year earlier, still with the former Dutch central defender on the bench, the azulgrana team earned 37 points in the first half of the season, one less than in the current season. In the 2003/04 season, Barcelona also managed only 27 points between August and January.

Barça Relives the Nightmare of the First Half of 2008

Additionally, Barça also matched the records of Frank Rijkaard's last semester as coach, where Barça threw away LaLiga from the beginning of the year to focus on the Champions League. With the defeat against Atlético, Flick's team recorded their fourth loss in the last seven matches (one win and two draws), a streak very similar to what the azulgranas strung together between March and April 2008. In total, there were nine matches in which Barcelona only won one, with four draws and the same number of losses.

This season, counting the last six matches played (except for the advanced duel against Mallorca), Barça would be at the bottom of the tournament with only 2 points out of 18 possible. Hence, the team wasted the lead over Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid. With the 'colchoneros', the gap reached 10 points, while 'La Casa Blanca' was also 9 points ahead at the beginning of November. Now, Barça faces the risk of finishing third, 6 and 5 points behind both.