Stats: Barcelona rediscover physical intensity as Aston Villa victory highlights Flick’s recovery work

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Source excerpt · Barca Universal ↗

During Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa, Hansi Flick’s side covered an impressive 118.5 kilometres, comfortably outworking Unai Emery’s side, who managed 112.9 kms. The difference of 5.6 kilometres offered a telling indication of how much Hansi Flick’s players had recovered after consecutive defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

The numbers were encouraging because Barcelona’s biggest problem in those defeats had been their inability to sustain the intensity required by Flick’s football. A short break after El Clasico, however, appears to have helped address that problem, with the performances against Alaves and Aston Villa providing evidence of a physical improvement.

The difference against Aston Villa was apparent from the opening minutes, as Barcelona did not allow the visitors to settle into their build-up, repeatedly forcing them into difficult decisions under pressure.