Recreate Hansi Flick’s thrilling, attack-focused Barcelona tactic in FM24, achieving invincible results. Download and dominate like the Catalan giants
Hansi Flick’s Brilliant Barcelona – FM24 Tactical Recreation; INVINCIBLES!
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Former Bayern Munich and Champions League-winning manager Hansi Flick has got FC Barcelona playing absolutely scintillating football. Moving away from the club’s DNA, the German has put an emphasis on trusting the youth and playing a brand of thrilling, attacking football and it’s certainly paying off for the Catalonian giant. So far this season, his Barcelona side have beaten Real Madrid 0-4 at the Bernabeu and Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League, along with these brilliant results:
- Real Valladolid 7-0
- Girona 1-4
- Villarreal 1-5
- Young Boys 5-0
- Sevilla 5-1
With these results, Barcelona are already six points clear of their domestic rivals in La Liga. In this article, I’ll be talking you through my recreation of Flick’s Barcelona tactic on Football Manager 2024 and showcasing my extraordinary results in-game. Firstly, let’s look at the core principles of this incredible system.
Extreme Attacking Mentality
FC Barcelona are a club famous for their technical abilities down the years, and a history of beautiful possession football. Whether that’s Johan Cruyff’s ‘Total Football’ (totaalvoetbal) and ‘Tiki-Taka’, or Pep Guardiola’s ‘Positional Play’ (Juego de Posicion), Barcelona have always retained a patient, possession-based philosophy. However, the appointment of Hansi Flick has broken that mould to a devastatingly successful effect. Instead of using total control of possession to suffocate opponents and score goals, like Barcelona’s previous manager, Hansi Flick wants his Barcelona to thrive in the chaos.
This doesn’t mean that Barcelona gives up possession completely, as they
currently average 66% possession per game in La Liga. However, with their
possession, Flick’s Barcelona looks for penetrative runs in-behind from
midfielders and wingers, and look to have as many players as they can in and
around the opposition’s penalty area. This can see Barcelona left with a 3-1
rest defence, and even at times a 2-1 rest defence in possession. This can be
seen when Barcelona takes goal-kicks, as they’ll usually commit five, six and
sometimes even seven players to the attack. This attacking prowess has seen
Barcelona score 37 goals in 11 games in La Liga.
Along with Barcelona’s extreme attacking football in-possession, they are exceptionally brave out-of-possession, as they commit to an astonishingly high line. This high line has seen a fair bit of success, as Barcelona caught a Real Madrid player offside on 12 occasions in the recent 0-4 win. To implement this in FM, I applied the ‘Much Higher Defensive Line’ team instruction.
Incredible High Line
Along with Barcelona’s extreme attacking football in-possession, they are exceptionally brave out-of-possession, as they commit to an astonishingly high line. This high line has seen a fair bit of success, as Barcelona caught a Real Madrid player offside on 12 occasions in the recent 0-4 win. To implement this in FM, I applied the ‘Much Higher Defensive Line’ team instruction.
Let’s Break Down the Tactic
In Possession
When Barcelona has the ball, they do keep a lot of the ball, as mentioned
before. However, they really emphasize vertical play and will look to play
balls in behind for midfielders and attackers to chase. If the ball in
behind isn’t on, Barcelona’s centre-backs will play line-breaking passes
into the striker or midfielders behind. This is made easier by the
incredibly narrow positioning of the front three/four. From here, the front
three/four will use relationism concepts to link-up and try to create gaps
in the backline for other players to exploit. To recreate these things, I
applied the team instructions pictured in the photo above.
In Transition
As aforementioned, Flick puts an emphasis on verticality in
Barça's attack. This is especially important in transitional
phases, as Barcelona look to take advantage of these situations.
Therefore, they look to counter-press to try and regain possession, and
when they win back the ball, they place emphasis on devastating
counter-attacks. From goal-kicks, Barcelona often looks to draw in the
press, using the ‘keeper and centre-backs to put their studs on the ball.
However, we rarely see this as teams regularly sit off them and refuse to
press high. To recreate these things, I applied the team instructions
pictured in the photo above.
The centre-backs in this system, like the ‘keeper, have to be comfortable and willing to keep the ball. This is especially seen on the right side, as the right-sided centre-back seems to be instructed to carry with the ball more often than his other half. Both centre-backs are, however, instructed to move very wide in possession to offer diagonal bounce pass options, and to stretch the opposition’s front press. This is even more prevalent from goal-kick situations, where the two centre-backs will drop to the sides of the ‘keeper. To replicate this, I applied the player instructions seen below:
The left-sided centre-back is very similar in their movements on and off the ball to their counterpart, however they seem to have slightly less onus on them to carry the ball. Therefore, I didn’t select the ‘Dribble More’ player instruction on him. However, the ‘Stay Wider’ instruction remains, as seen below:
%20Ball-Playing%20Defender%20%E2%80%93%20Defend.png "(DCL) Ball-Playing Defender – Defend")
The left-back in this system is crucial, not just with their lateral movements off-the-ball, but also with their aforementioned bravery in defending. They have to maintain the width on the left-side, as the winger on their side is inside more often. However, they are also tasked with utilising playmaker-like skills, such as playing through balls in-behind the opposition defence for the striker/midfielder to chase. When the opposition are building from the back, the left-back in this system has to be brave and confront the opposition full-back should he receive the ball. This position is, arguably, the most pivotal in this entire system. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions seen below:
The holding midfielder in this system is also crucial to this system, as they have to be the metronome. The engine, in-possession, that makes this team tick. This player has to be available to receive passes from both sides of the pitch. Therefore, it was only right that I chose this role, with the additional player instruction as seen below:
The left-sided central midfielder in this system is giving a bit more positional freedom, as he’s allowed to move higher up in possession, drop deep in possession and call for the ball in possession when he deems appropriate. When he receives the ball, he’s also given licence to carry the ball forward and try to play-make. Therefore, I believe this role with the player instructions seen below is the perfect option to replicate this role:
The right-sided ‘10’ in this system is given a more functional role, mainly trying to play-make and link-up with the striker and other ‘10’, or the right-winger and right-back. However, saying this, this player is also given freedom to roam from his position to create disorganisation in the opposition’s defensive line. From this, you’ll usually see him swap positions with players and also drop from the attacking line to receive penetrative line-breaking passes from the centre-backs. Out of possession, this player is instructed to mark his opposite midfield number. To replicate these things, I applied the following player instructions, as seen below:
%20Attacking%20Midfielder%20%E2%80%93%20Support.png "(AMCR) Attacking Midfielder – Support")
(DISCLAIMER: The position being marked is ‘DMCL’)
Raphinha, in this position, is a player re-born under Flick. At the time of writing, he has registered 19 (NINETEEN) goal contributions in just 14 (FOURTEEN) games for the Catalonians – meaning he is only 4 goal contributions away from equalling his record in 23/24; we’re in November! Also, Raphinha was awarded the La Liga Player of the Month award for August, following a sensational month where he scored a hat-trick against Real Valladolid. In this Role, Raphinha is encouraged to make penetrating runs in-behind the opposition’s defence, and to drift between the lines and wait for the opportunity to drop off the defensive line to receive the ball into feet. Finally, out of possession, Raphinha is instructed to press the opposition’s right-sided centre back to help form the U-shape pressing structure. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
%20Shadow%20Striker%20%E2%80%93%20Attack.png "(AMCL) Shadow Striker – Attack")
Lamine Yamal has also been a beneficiary of Flick’s system, not that he was too bad beforehand! At the time of writing, Lamine Yamal has accumulated 13 goal contributions and has been scintillating even when he hasn’t scored/assisted. He also won the La Liga Player of the Month award for September, after a stellar month for the club! In this role, Lamine Yamal has been given a good mix of tactical discipline, with a dose of creativity and fluidity, as he’s allowed to interchange positions in the frontline with his right-back partner. However, from goal-kicks, Lamine Yamal is instructed to hold maximum width to try and stretch the opposition’s backline. Out of possession, Lamine Yamal, like Raphinha, is instructed to press the opposing centre-back (left centre-back in his case). To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
The striker’s role in this system is pretty self-explanatory – ‘Complete'. The striker in this role has to be comfortable making himself available for a pass in-between the lines, but also has to be willing to ‘run the channels’ or make runs in-behind. Out of possession, the striker has to mark the single-pivot or the right-sided pivot in the double-pivot that the opposition plays. This, therefore, creates the U-shape pressing structure Flick’s Barça use. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions seen below:
I’ll be posting the individual match results (including a thumping 12-0 win!) on my Twitter/X account @AshtonGgmu.
However, let’s have a look at the phenomenal results we achieved with Barcelona on FM24!
In the La Liga, we went INVINCIBLE! 38 Games. 32 Wins. 6 Draws. 0 Losses. 102 Points, 13 points clear of rivals Real Madrid! It doesn’t end there! In La Liga alone, we scored 152 goals and only conceded 25 goals! We were simply breathtaking, averaging 4 goals scored a game, and conceding only 0.66 goals per game, on average. This wasn’t a fluke either, as our xG suggested we should’ve scored 122 goals!
In the Supercopa de España, we beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final to win the competition! Unfortunately, we weren’t so lucky in the Copa Del Rey as we were knocked out in the Fourth Round after losing 3-2 to Celta Vigo in extra-time!
We made up for the disappointing cup run, however, by winning the UEFA Champions League after a thrilling win in the final, 3-2 vs Inter Milan! On our way to the final, we beat Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Feyenoord 4-2, 2-5 and 8-3 on aggregate respectively!
So far in 24/25, FC Barcelona have flexed their muscles and are destroying the rest, and even the best! Their controversial appointment of Hansi Flick as manager in the summer has certainly paid off, and the Catalonian giants are already looking to burst far and away from the rest in the La Liga title race! They’re scoring for fun, and they’re quickly gaining a reputation around the world for being one of the most exciting teams to watch! In FM24, I have recreated the tactics of this brilliant side and, in this article, have showcased my insane results with the tactic! If you want a taste of this crazy system, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials. I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
Out of Possession
Barcelona press very high, looking to disrupt the opposition’s build-up
phase. To support this intense press, Barcelona holds an incredibly high
line, often positioning their defensive line as close to the halfway
line as possible. In their high press, Barcelona mark all central
options, however, close the passing lanes into the opposition’s
full-backs. To enable this, Flick instructs his wingers
Lamine Yamal
and
Raphinha
to press from out to in onto the opposition centre-backs, whilst
Lewandowski
and the no.10 (Olmo/Fermin etc) mark the opposition deeper midfielders.
This creates a U-shape pressing structure up top. This, however, leaves
the opposition full-backs in a position to receive a bounce
pass/diagonal switch of play from the keeper. To counter this, Flick
instructs Balde/Hector Fort to hold a high position so they can jump to
press the opposition full-back, should he receive the ball. To replicate
this, I moved the LB (Balde) into a LWB position in game. When the
opposition are in the final third and move the ball wide, Barcelona look
to use multiple players to close down the ball and prevent the cross in.
To recreate these things, I applied the team instructions pictured in
the photo above.
READ ALSO: FM24 Tactical Recreation - Seb Hoeneß’ Overperforming Stuttgart Tactic
The GK in Flick’s system has to be comfortable with the ball at their feet, but more importantly have to be brave enough to stray out of their penalty area to sweep threatening balls in behind. Therefore, I chose this role and duty. No additional player instructions.
The right-back in this system has to be quite versatile, as they have an onus on them to either drop into the back line to form a back-three, or move higher to support the right-winger. Along with this, they have to be comfortable receiving the ball on the inside as they’ll regularly swap positions in the attacking line with the right-winger. Finally, they also have to be willing to get to the byline and pull a ball across goal for a teammate to attack. To replicate this role, I felt this role and duty was more fitting than a CWB on Support/WB on Defend. To enable these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
READ ALSO: FM24 Tactical Recreation - Seb Hoeneß’ Overperforming Stuttgart Tactic
Player Instructions
Sweeper Keeper – Attack:
The GK in Flick’s system has to be comfortable with the ball at their feet, but more importantly have to be brave enough to stray out of their penalty area to sweep threatening balls in behind. Therefore, I chose this role and duty. No additional player instructions.
Full-Back – Support:
The right-back in this system has to be quite versatile, as they have an onus on them to either drop into the back line to form a back-three, or move higher to support the right-winger. Along with this, they have to be comfortable receiving the ball on the inside as they’ll regularly swap positions in the attacking line with the right-winger. Finally, they also have to be willing to get to the byline and pull a ball across goal for a teammate to attack. To replicate this role, I felt this role and duty was more fitting than a CWB on Support/WB on Defend. To enable these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
(DCR) Ball-Playing Defender – Defend:
The centre-backs in this system, like the ‘keeper, have to be comfortable and willing to keep the ball. This is especially seen on the right side, as the right-sided centre-back seems to be instructed to carry with the ball more often than his other half. Both centre-backs are, however, instructed to move very wide in possession to offer diagonal bounce pass options, and to stretch the opposition’s front press. This is even more prevalent from goal-kick situations, where the two centre-backs will drop to the sides of the ‘keeper. To replicate this, I applied the player instructions seen below:
(DCL) Ball-Playing Defender – Defend:
The left-sided centre-back is very similar in their movements on and off the ball to their counterpart, however they seem to have slightly less onus on them to carry the ball. Therefore, I didn’t select the ‘Dribble More’ player instruction on him. However, the ‘Stay Wider’ instruction remains, as seen below:
%20Ball-Playing%20Defender%20%E2%80%93%20Defend.png "(DCL) Ball-Playing Defender – Defend")
Wing-Back – Support:
The left-back in this system is crucial, not just with their lateral movements off-the-ball, but also with their aforementioned bravery in defending. They have to maintain the width on the left-side, as the winger on their side is inside more often. However, they are also tasked with utilising playmaker-like skills, such as playing through balls in-behind the opposition defence for the striker/midfielder to chase. When the opposition are building from the back, the left-back in this system has to be brave and confront the opposition full-back should he receive the ball. This position is, arguably, the most pivotal in this entire system. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions seen below:
Deep-Lying Playmaker – Defend:
The holding midfielder in this system is also crucial to this system, as they have to be the metronome. The engine, in-possession, that makes this team tick. This player has to be available to receive passes from both sides of the pitch. Therefore, it was only right that I chose this role, with the additional player instruction as seen below:
Box-to-Box Midfielder – Support:
The left-sided central midfielder in this system is giving a bit more positional freedom, as he’s allowed to move higher up in possession, drop deep in possession and call for the ball in possession when he deems appropriate. When he receives the ball, he’s also given licence to carry the ball forward and try to play-make. Therefore, I believe this role with the player instructions seen below is the perfect option to replicate this role:
(AMCR) Attacking Midfielder – Support:
The right-sided ‘10’ in this system is given a more functional role, mainly trying to play-make and link-up with the striker and other ‘10’, or the right-winger and right-back. However, saying this, this player is also given freedom to roam from his position to create disorganisation in the opposition’s defensive line. From this, you’ll usually see him swap positions with players and also drop from the attacking line to receive penetrative line-breaking passes from the centre-backs. Out of possession, this player is instructed to mark his opposite midfield number. To replicate these things, I applied the following player instructions, as seen below:
%20Attacking%20Midfielder%20%E2%80%93%20Support.png "(AMCR) Attacking Midfielder – Support")
(DISCLAIMER: The position being marked is ‘DMCL’)
(AMCL) Shadow Striker – Attack:
Raphinha, in this position, is a player re-born under Flick. At the time of writing, he has registered 19 (NINETEEN) goal contributions in just 14 (FOURTEEN) games for the Catalonians – meaning he is only 4 goal contributions away from equalling his record in 23/24; we’re in November! Also, Raphinha was awarded the La Liga Player of the Month award for August, following a sensational month where he scored a hat-trick against Real Valladolid. In this Role, Raphinha is encouraged to make penetrating runs in-behind the opposition’s defence, and to drift between the lines and wait for the opportunity to drop off the defensive line to receive the ball into feet. Finally, out of possession, Raphinha is instructed to press the opposition’s right-sided centre back to help form the U-shape pressing structure. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
%20Shadow%20Striker%20%E2%80%93%20Attack.png "(AMCL) Shadow Striker – Attack")
Inverted Winger – Attack:
Lamine Yamal has also been a beneficiary of Flick’s system, not that he was too bad beforehand! At the time of writing, Lamine Yamal has accumulated 13 goal contributions and has been scintillating even when he hasn’t scored/assisted. He also won the La Liga Player of the Month award for September, after a stellar month for the club! In this role, Lamine Yamal has been given a good mix of tactical discipline, with a dose of creativity and fluidity, as he’s allowed to interchange positions in the frontline with his right-back partner. However, from goal-kicks, Lamine Yamal is instructed to hold maximum width to try and stretch the opposition’s backline. Out of possession, Lamine Yamal, like Raphinha, is instructed to press the opposing centre-back (left centre-back in his case). To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions as seen below:
- [message]
- DISCLAIMER:
- Both specific positions being marked by the AMCL and AMR are their respective opposing centre-backs – ‘DCL’ for the AMR and ‘DCR’ for the AMCL.
Complete Forward – Support:
The striker’s role in this system is pretty self-explanatory – ‘Complete'. The striker in this role has to be comfortable making himself available for a pass in-between the lines, but also has to be willing to ‘run the channels’ or make runs in-behind. Out of possession, the striker has to mark the single-pivot or the right-sided pivot in the double-pivot that the opposition plays. This, therefore, creates the U-shape pressing structure Flick’s Barça use. To replicate these things, I applied the player instructions seen below:
- [message]
- DISCLAIMER:
- The position the striker will be marking is dependent on the opposition’s shape. When playing against one DM, he’ll mark the ‘DM’ specific position. When playing against two DMs, the instruction should be set to marking the specific position of the ‘DMCR’.
Results
I’ll be posting the individual match results (including a thumping 12-0 win!) on my Twitter/X account @AshtonGgmu.
However, let’s have a look at the phenomenal results we achieved with Barcelona on FM24!
La Liga:
In the La Liga, we went INVINCIBLE! 38 Games. 32 Wins. 6 Draws. 0 Losses. 102 Points, 13 points clear of rivals Real Madrid! It doesn’t end there! In La Liga alone, we scored 152 goals and only conceded 25 goals! We were simply breathtaking, averaging 4 goals scored a game, and conceding only 0.66 goals per game, on average. This wasn’t a fluke either, as our xG suggested we should’ve scored 122 goals!
Domestic Cups:
In the Supercopa de España, we beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final to win the competition! Unfortunately, we weren’t so lucky in the Copa Del Rey as we were knocked out in the Fourth Round after losing 3-2 to Celta Vigo in extra-time!
Champions League:
We made up for the disappointing cup run, however, by winning the UEFA Champions League after a thrilling win in the final, 3-2 vs Inter Milan! On our way to the final, we beat Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Feyenoord 4-2, 2-5 and 8-3 on aggregate respectively!
Conclusion
So far in 24/25, FC Barcelona have flexed their muscles and are destroying the rest, and even the best! Their controversial appointment of Hansi Flick as manager in the summer has certainly paid off, and the Catalonian giants are already looking to burst far and away from the rest in the La Liga title race! They’re scoring for fun, and they’re quickly gaining a reputation around the world for being one of the most exciting teams to watch! In FM24, I have recreated the tactics of this brilliant side and, in this article, have showcased my insane results with the tactic! If you want a taste of this crazy system, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials. I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
