Barcelona were held to a frustrating 3-3 draw by Club Brugge in a chaotic UEFA Champions League matchday fixture, a result that immediately drew fierce criticism from former star Thierry Henry over the team’s persistent tactical shortcomings in defense.
The result saw Hansi Flick’s side forced to equalize three times, with the home team repeatedly exploiting Barcelona’s high defensive line through rapid counter-attacks.
Brugge’s forward Carlos Forbs delivered a masterful performance, contributing two goals and an assist to his side’s tally, repeatedly exposing the space behind the Catalan defense.
While teenage sensation Lamine Yamal produced a moment of individual brilliance to level the score at 2-2—after Ferran Torres had scored the first—Barcelona ultimately needed a late own goal to salvage a single point.
Speaking on the CBS Sports post-match show, Henry, who won the Champions League with the club in 2009, did not hold back in his analysis of the defensive strategy.
He insisted the current tactical approach is unsustainable at the elite European level.”I don’t want to talk about my old club like that, but you’ve got to call a spade a spade,” Henry said.
“You can’t carry on defending like this.”
The Frenchman highlighted the ease with which Brugge repeatedly found success with late runs into the vacated space, suggesting opponents now have a tried-and-true blueprint for attacking Barcelona.
“I can’t bypass the fact that you keep on letting people go and run at your goal,” he continued. “If you’re a team now… you don’t make the late run… Late runs. You can go and do it every single time!
Why would you put yourself in a situation when you’re going to make yourself suffer alone?”
Henry concluded that the team’s financial issues—which prevent the acquisition of “world-class defender[s]”—exacerbate the flawed high-line strategy. Despite the result, Flick reaffirmed his commitment to the club’s attacking “DNA,” suggesting a defensive change is unlikely.”
You’re supposed to erase mistakes, not create them yourself,” Henry cautioned, emphasizing the systemic nature of the team’s problems.