Barcelona storm the castle at Girona and put all of Spain on notice

This Barcelona team is unrecognizable. Just ask Girona.

The Blaugrana are, of course, the kings of Catalonia, even if for one year they were humbled by their neighbors to the north.

But their ambitions are much larger.

Conquering Spain and the rest of Europe is the true goal.

And at the moment, it seems perfectly reasonable to dream. Because this team is much more than the sum of its parts.

They are united, and as the wins pile up, their confidence continues to grow.

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This isn’t about any one individual, although coming out of the summer, we certainly thought that Lamine Yamal would have to play an outsized role if Barca was to be successful.

Against Girona, he scored two world class goals, and was certainly the hero on the day. But recall that against Real Valladolid, he didn’t get on the 7-0 scoresheet.

On Sunday, he scored his goals because of his industry. Making a mockery of Girona’s careless attempt to play out of the back by being alert and aggressive defensively. And using those same instincts for the second goal by striking a ball first time that came loose at the top of the box.

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But he was never alone.

Barcelona are defending very high up the field, and they are swarming their opponents collectively by pressing without hesitation and with maximum intensity.

They are leaving their feet, flying in on tackles.

And as a result, they are winning the ball in valuable areas on the field. The goals are coming easy, because they are being proactive defensively, as opposed to relying on low value possession for the sake of it.

Now we are seeing a team with an eye always forward, sending balls over the top and through, as an array of characters find ways to get behind the backline. Dani Olmo and Pedri showed the way against Girona.

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This is a team that is not just building an identity, they are revealing it in live time.

And it’s driving opposing teams crazy because they don’t expect it from Barca when in the past all they had to game plan was to concede possession and maintain a low block for most of the match.

Most impressive to me is that, just as their manager demanded, they are maintaining the energy for 90 minutes.

Even after Girona pulled one back, they went to work running and fighting. Raphinha, who didn’t score on the day, played the whole game because he is the poster child for the hard, oftentimes thankless work, that Hansi Flick is calling for.

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This is fun, just as the game should be.

Even though the team on paper doesn’t seem as strong as the one a year ago, and certainly is lacking depth in the early goings, it hasn’t mattered, because the messaging is clear, and it has been received by everyone, from the starting eleven, to those coming off the bench.

There is no substitute for intensity in the modern game..

There is no other option than to be direct if you are the better team.

That’s the formula for Flick who is creating the most exciting show of football in Europe at the moment.

Hitch your cart to this horse.

Barcelona is going places.