We don’t play so high anymore – Lewandowski details Flick’s tactical tweak at Barcelona

Barcelona captain Robert Lewandowski has confirmed that manager Hansi Flick has dialled back the team’s once-signature high defensive line after early-season scrutiny, telling Polish outlet Pilka Nozna that the squad “don’t play so high anymore” and have become “more flexible in the defensive game.”

The adjustment marks a notable shift for a coach whose aggressive, high-line approach has drawn criticism since his arrival at the club. Lewandowski, 36, said the change has been implemented gradually: “Recently, there has been a change in this field… we do not always take risks as we did in the first season. In some games we still try to catch the opponent offside, in others the strategy looks a little different.”

While the striker offered no hints on his long-term future, he batted away suggestions that winning a second Champions League title would automatically signal a Camp Nou farewell. “This is definitely not the time to make a decision yet,” he stressed. “There is such a long way to win it that it makes no sense to even ask yourself such a question… If we manage to reach the semi-finals, then we will be able to wonder – what to do to play in the final.”

Barcelona, who will learn their knockout-phase opponent in Friday’s draw, continue to fine-tune their balance between risk and resilience as Flick’s evolving blueprint takes hold.