Real Madrid faced a frustrating night during Saturday’s Clásico loss to Barcelona, who have become a statistical marvel under Hansi Flick.
Barcelona triumphed in the first Clásico of the 2024-25 season with a resounding 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu, delivering a powerful statement against their fiercest rivals, Real Madrid.
This win marks Barcelona’s joint-largest La Liga victory at the home of Los Blancos this century; Lamine Yamal made history as the youngest goalscorer in Clásico history at just 17 years and 105 days; Hansi Flick became the first men’s manager to win his debut Clásico by four or more goals in any competition since Jorge Valdano in 1995; and this defeat denied Madrid the chance to match the all-time La Liga record for unbeaten matches, set by Barcelona in 2018 at 43 games.
Despite all this, the most significant takeaway from Saturday’s thrilling match seemed to be the demanding roles played by the assistant referees. It may sound a bit odd to claim that the most captivating aspect of what was otherwise a genuinely entertaining chapter in arguably the biggest rivalry in club football was the numerous offside calls, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
No one noticed this more than Kylian Mbappé. The French star was flagged offside eight times during the match, the highest number recorded by any player in a single game across the top five European leagues since Sergio Pellissier’s ten offside calls for Chievo against Roma in December 2010.
Six of those offside calls came in the first half, with Mbappé responsible for 75% of the offsides (6 out of 8) against Madrid before halftime. The eight offsides called against Carlo Ancelotti’s side matched the club’s joint record (since 2003-04) for a La Liga match in the first half.
Overall, Madrid’s total of 12 offsides marked their highest in a league game since March 2013 (also 12 against Celta Vigo) and the most by either team in a Clásico dating back to at least 2003-04.
Watching it all unfold was rather surreal, particularly in the first half, where nearly every promising Madrid attack was either cut short or quickly neutralized by the offside flag.
Despite Madrid looking genuinely dangerous going forward before the break, they technically finished the first half with only one attempt and none on target. This seemed an unfair reflection of their performance; with slightly better-timed runs or earlier passes, they might have gone into halftime with a lead. Notably, Mbappé even shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat, only for that chance to also be erased by an offside call.
For some spectators, this might have seemed absurd or even unexpected. And in a way, it was – yet it also reflects Hansi Flick’s defensive strategy with Barcelona this season.
Barcelona’s tally of 12 offsides forced in this match was much higher than their already-high season average of 7.0 per game, and that average remains strikingly high. In fact, the numbers become almost absurd: Barcelona’s opponents have now been caught offside 77 times this season.
Barcelona’s Anomaly in Offside Provocation
Alright, you’re still anticipating the kicker…
Here it is: the teams with the second and third highest number of offsides forced in the top five European leagues this season have combined for only 70. Osasuna and Brighton trail closely behind Barcelona in the offsides provoked rankings, but in reality, the Blaugrana are significantly ahead.
Several clubs in the top leagues haven’t even managed to provoke 10 offsides this season, with Toulouse and Inter recording the lowest numbers in 2024-25, each with just three.
For historical context, we analyzed Opta data dating back to the 2006-07 season across the top five European leagues and found only one instance of a team averaging more offsides provoked per game in a single season: Atalanta, with 7.03 in 2008-09. Leading up to 2024-25, that Atalanta figure was one of only two occurrences of a team exceeding 5.9 offsides provoked per game, with Juventus also achieving this at 6.3 in 2007-08.
What makes this Barcelona team particularly intriguing is that they are achieving these numbers during the VAR era, as highlighted last week by the Spanish newspaper El País. The introduction of Video Assistant Referee technology has significantly decreased the number of offside decisions. For instance, in the 2006-07 season, there were 5.9 offside calls per match across the top five leagues, while in 2023-24, that average dropped to 3.6—a 39% reduction.
Considering this, Barcelona’s average of 7.0 offsides provoked per game this season stands out as an anomaly—almost comical—when viewed in the context of the VAR era. VAR was first implemented in the Bundesliga and Serie A during the 2017-18 season, followed by its introduction to La Liga and Ligue 1 the next season, and then the Premier League in 2019-20.
Thus, when examining offsides provoked per game since the 2017-18 season, Barcelona’s numbers are a glaring exception.
The previous record for offsides provoked per game was held by Aston Villa at 4.4 last season, while Barcelona averaged only 3.1 per game in 2023-24. This highlights a significant transformation since the summer.
“It’s remarkable to have the confidence to maintain such a high defensive line,” midfielder Marc Casadó remarked after the match. “We’ve been executing it all season. The team’s defensive efforts have been outstanding. It’s impressive, and right now, it’s working for us.”
However, that’s the crucial point, isn’t it? Currently, this strategy is benefiting Barcelona, but if circumstances change—perhaps due to injuries—they could become vulnerable.
Flick, however, maintains that this approach is not something to fear.
“It may appear dangerous and risky, but it isn’t,” he stated in his post-match press conference. “It worked. The key is defending in line. We’ve put in a lot of effort to achieve this. For me, it’s essential to defend with the ball. We couldn’t allow them any space.”
The evidence indicates that Barcelona excels at their current strategy, as their statistics are remarkably impressive. Moreover, they are aware that a portion of the risk is mitigated by VAR, which can favor them in situations where marginal calls lead to goals.
If they can sustain the sharpness they displayed on Saturday, VAR provides an extra layer of security. While maintaining such performance may not be guaranteed, their record under Flick thus far provides substantial reassurance.
Read More: Florida Purchase Hints at Neymar’s Possible Reunion with Messi and Suarez at Inter Miami
When is Barcelona’s next match?
Barcelona’s next match is at home against Espanyol on Sunday, November 3 from 8:45 pm (IST).
