According to The Athletic, Barcelona wanted to sign Álvarez this summer to improve attacking mobility, but it now appears that Raphinha, playing as a false nine, has delivered that perfectly.

The report states: "Everyone always wants a striker who can score 40 goals a year, but I can tell you: this team won't lack for goals."

That's what Pedri said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar when discussing Barcelona's title defense campaign in La Liga this season. They had just defeated Valencia again, with Flick's side winning comfortably 5-0.

Barcelona leads La Liga with four wins from four matches, scoring 17 goals in that run. What's truly impressive isn't just how they're playing, but how they're winning.

Having failed to sign their desired striker, Álvarez, this summer, Barcelona currently lack a traditional center-forward.

Flick's revamped front line features Raphinha as a false nine, with Yamal and Anthony Gordon on the wings. Against Valencia, Fermín, Pedri, and Rodri controlled the midfield behind them, while Olmo and Bernal came on as substitutes.

Adeyemi and Jesus also came off the bench, with the latter arriving from Arsenal on the final day of the transfer window.

Yamal opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a brilliant, delicate chip. Fermín, Raphinha, Pedri, and Yamal then added four more goals, as Barcelona delivered another exemplary display of collective football. The team's movement, understanding between players, and intensity of the high press have been too much for any opponent so far this season.

It's fair to say Valencia are in a rather dire situation at the moment, and their players struggled to hold firm during the match. Throughout the game, Valencia fans demanded the owner leave and called for the manager to be sacked.

But Valencia aren't the first opponent to be dismantled by Barcelona this season, and likely won't be the last.

Flick took over as Barcelona manager in May 2024. By expected goals, two of the seven highest-quality performances in La Liga under his management came at the start of this season. Barcelona recorded 4.38 expected goals in their 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and 4.23 in their 5-0 away victory against Elche.

The sample size is still too small to draw firm conclusions, but Barcelona's average expected goals this season has reached 3.93. Last season in La Liga, their average was 2.28, and in the 2024-25 league season it stood at 2.43. Raphinha leads La Liga's scoring chart with 6 goals in 4 rounds, Fermín has scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists, and Yamal has finally opened his account with two consecutive braces.

Flick said at his post-match press conference: "I'm very satisfied with how we're playing right now. We worked hard and used the space in the final third very, very well, and then individual quality allows us to convert those chances.

"For me, our approach won't change. We still want a center-forward in the team. But our attack and midfield have so much quality that many players can now score."

Barcelona's main priority this summer was always to build a mobile, high-intensity attack, which is why they pursued Álvarez. What Flick and Deco want isn't just a static, physically strong center-forward; they want movement and unpredictability, and both believe this is the direction the team should evolve.

Now, with Raphinha playing as a false nine, Barcelona already possess those qualities. This season's new captain has adapted perfectly to his new role. He can also drop deeper into midfield, acting as a playmaker and providing long passes to wingers like Gordon and Yamal, while making runs into the box whenever an opportunity arises.

Fermín is also in outstanding form, and it's almost inconceivable that Barcelona would sell him at any price in the summer of 2025. His connection with Yamal on the right wing is almost unstoppable. He's thriving in the space created by this new system.

Flick's bench this season is also vastly different from last season. Adeyemi and Jesus made contributions, with the former Arsenal forward coming close to scoring at one point. Olmo provided two assists after coming on as a substitute with around half an hour remaining.

Álvarez would undoubtedly have been an excellent addition, but with the team performing so well, Barcelona fans won't dwell on regrets. The last time Barcelona scored more goals in their opening four league matches was in the 1950-51 season.

Flick added: "What I see in these players, even after the World Cup winners returned, is their hunger for more achievements.

"We must be clear that this season is still very long, and achieving all the objectives we've set will be very difficult, but we'll certainly try.

"We're a very young team, and I think we made the right transfers. This is just the beginning."

Traduzido por IA.

O site do AF já está online! Acesse notícias completas, comentários, detalhes de partidas e estatísticas no seu computador. Acesse: www.allfootballapp.com