€15m Barcelona player looks to be an ideal fit in Hansi Flick’s system – Opinion | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have enjoyed a phenomenal 2025 campaign, with silverware and standout performances across the board. Even the heartbreak of their Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan can’t overshadow the dominance Hansi Flick’s side has shown this season.

Just days after that European setback, Barça responded in emphatic fashion, beating Real Madrid 4-3 at Montjuic in a thrilling El Clasico to all but seal the La Liga title. Now, with a victory over Espanyol on Thursday, they can make it official.

Many players have had a brilliant season under Hansi Flick so far this season, but one person who has gone through injury hell has been Andreas Christensen. The Dane got injured in the first La Liga game of the season and it took him until the Champions League semi-final first leg to make a return.

Tailor-made for Flick’s high line

However, what has amazed one and all is just how good Christensen has looked since his return to the pitch. The ex-Chelsea defender has looked like he was born to play in Hansi Flick’s high-line system and offers a lot for the future.

Christensen came on against Inter Milan in the first leg and helped see out the game. He was then given the chance to start against Real Valladolid and displayed a brilliant piece of tactical intelligence in the way that he played the opposition attacker offside.

He was then an unused substitute in the second leg against Inter Milan, with Ronald Araujo preferred to him, although that substitution didn’t work out as planned. One wonders what could have been if the German coach had brought the Dane on!

Finally, the €15m-rated Barcelona player came on for Pau Cubarsi in the second half of El Clasico and had a brilliant cameo. This included a last-ditch block to deny the ball from reaching Kylian Mbappe in what was a sequence of brilliant last-man defending.

Defensive numbers that speak volumes

What caught the eye in this sequence of play was Christensen’s surprising recovery pace – something that isn’t often associated with his game. From a very small sample size, as per stats from Sofascore, here is how the 29-year-old’s stats look.

Per 90, the Dane has 0.7 interceptions, 0.7 tackles, recovered 2.7 balls per game and made 1.3 clearances. From just 149 minutes, that is quite incredible and of course, the genius of the offside trap cannot be measured in numbers.

The lingering concern

Yet, the worry, of course, is his injury record. Just this one season, he has missed 218 days of action, during which he has missed 43 games for Barcelona. Thus, the only question would be if he can maintain his fitness going forward!

If Christensen is able to remain fit, in the upcoming season, he could end up being one of the most pivotal players in Hansi Flick’s system. Currently, Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez have had to play almost every single game and the Dane will be able to help out here.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Christensen. Hansi Flick will surely be impressed by what he has seen from the experienced defender and only time will tell if his fitness will allow him to have an impact going forward.