As the matchdays go by, FC Barcelona continues to suffer from a specific problem: the defense. The Azulgrana team comes from a duel against UD Levante in LaLiga EA Sports 25/26, where they conceded a couple of goals and left several doubts about their defensive solidity.
After the departure of Iñigo Martínez, Hansi Flick has been forced to recompose the back line, looking for variants that maintain the defensive balance of the Barça team.
In principle, the coach's bet was to line up Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araujo as a central defensive duo, a pairing that was barely tested against RCD Mallorca. However, against Levante, a spirited team at the Ciutat de Valencia, the defensive problems became more evident.
The Granota forwards, fast and skillful, managed to overcome the culé defense on several occasions, which is still trying to adapt after the loss of the Basque defender. The Ondarroa native, a left-footed center back hardened in a thousand battles, not only offered physicality and experience, but also masterfully orchestrated the offside trap and a range of technical resources to start the play from the back with the ball under control.
The challenges of the culé defense without Iñigo Martínez
In this sense, these first few matchdays without Iñigo have mainly affected Pau Cubarsí, who occupies the left defender zone. Against RCD Mallorca, relieved by Andreas Christensen, he was not tested because the opponent played a large part of the match with two men less due to expulsions of Manu Morlanes and Vedat Muriqi.
However, against Levante, although the '5' showed successes in the ball output and starred in meritorious actions, he was out of tune in the first Granota goal. Iván Romero, forward of the Valencian team, broke his waist with a skillful dribble without the ball, showing that covering that area is not his strong point.
Eric García and Pau Cubarsí: the duo that could reinforce the culé defense
Given this, it would not be surprising that for the duel against Rayo Vallecano, valid for matchday 3 of LaLiga EA Sports 25/26, Hansi Flick makes adjustments in the defense. Specifically, the Cubarsí-Eric García duo has been tested in training.
Although the Martorell native has mainly played as a right back in this 2025/26 season, his versatility and stellar performance could allow him to partner with the Estanyol native. In turn, it is worth remembering that this couple already coincided in the Spanish national team that won the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, where Cubarsí occupied the left and Eric García the right axis of the defense.
This would relieve Ronald Araujo with the former Manchester City player, who, although he does not offer the most physical defensive game of the charrúa, could complement the work of the back line and the exit with the ball under control from behind. A notable support for Cuba in this task.
Finally, this movement would allow Jules Koundé to regain his position as starting right back, keeping Alejandro Balde as left back. Likewise, it is not ruled out that at some point Gerard Martín, already registered and tested as a left center back in the preseason, can act as a defender on the left.