Alvaro Benito says Barcelona’s defensive approach leaves them vulnerable against elite opponents

Alvaro Benito says Hansi Flick’s attacking philosophy leaves Barcelona repeatedly exposed against top-quality opposition, with the former Real Madrid player pointing to the spaces behind the Catalan club’s defensive line as a major weakness.

The current Cadena SER analyst believes Flick’s decision to push his defence forward gives leading teams regular opportunities to reach Barcelona’s goal. He made the criticism after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou.

Benito said he admired Flick as a coach but warned that the German’s system carried significant risks when facing opponents with the pace and technical quality to exploit the space behind the defence.

“I have said for years that I like Flick as a coach, but Barcelona, against good teams performing at their usual level, will find themselves five or five times in front of their goalkeeper,” Benito said, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

He added that high-level teams were capable of taking advantage of those openings, arguing that Flick continued to take too many tactical risks in certain areas.

Real Madrid exposed Barcelona’s vulnerability

Despite his criticism, Benito praised Barcelona’s attacking style and said the team played attractive football. He believes their speed and relentless pressing allow them to dominate most opponents, particularly sides that lack the quality to punish a high defensive line.

The Clasico, however, demonstrated the danger of that approach against a team with players capable of exploiting open spaces, including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

Benito said Real Madrid created four or five chances that should have been handled better in the final pass or with the decision made in the attacking phase. In his view, the visitors could have inflicted even greater damage on their opponents.

The former Real Madrid player also praised the collective discipline shown by the club under Jose Mourinho, saying the victory was built not only on attacking ability but also on defensive commitment.

“Everyone ran, and they had a defensive plan which nobody deviated from,” he said.

Defensive discipline praised

Benito explained that Real Madrid’s organisation without the ball allowed them to regain possession and unsettle Barcelona before using the quality of their own attackers.

He said the team had found an effective way to compete with Barcelona at Camp Nou and described the result as an important starting point for the rest of the season.

According to Benito, the performance showed that Real Madrid’s players were capable of following a clear tactical plan and maintaining their discipline throughout the match. That defensive structure, he argued, gave them the platform to contain Barcelona’s attacking threat and make the most of their opportunities at the other end.