Real Madrid is greatly favored by polls to win it all this season due to the addition of Kylian Mbappé to the already 'galactic' squad, who are not only young, but also at the peak of their footballing.

But here's a relief for FC Barcelona faithfuls in regards to the most feared department of the Los Blancos squad—Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé are not defensive-minded.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé are not strong defenders. They often take risks on defense to prepare for quick counterattacks. This is a tactic they use, and this is an advantage to FC Barcelona.

For example, Mbappé is in the bottom 1% for tackles, aerial duels won, clearance, and blocks, and the bottom 6% for interceptions among wingers and advanced midfielders.

Vinícius Junior defends a bit more aggressively, which costs him 7 yellow cards in 26 matches in the La Liga 2023/2024 season, but he still ranks low in defensive stats compared to other forwards.

On the other hand, Barcelona has Lamine Yamal, who has proven himself as a key player in quick transitions. Funny enough, he's often underrated in his defensive abilities. 

Yamal has more defensive responsibilities, which is why he ranks in the top 6% for tackles, interceptions, and blocks among wingers and advanced midfielders.

Barcelona, in the absence of a natural left winger like Nico Williams, is likely to have Raphina playing in that area. He's a creator of chaos with great delivery of the ball into the opponent's goal area.

Raphina is versatile enough to switch between wings and midfield, which allows him to dummy his markers easily. He also has good ball striking and off-the-ball movements. A goal/assist machine (0.99 per 90 min last season).

Robert Lewandowski is also crucial, as he leads the press. He had a perfect bond and linking under Hansi Flick at Bayern, and we've seen flashes of his brilliance at the preseason friendlies this season.

Lewandowski as the top 9 will be the first player to apply pressure on the opponent, which is an essential part of Hansi Flick's football philosophy. 

While Real Madrid has players like Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and even Jude Bellingham, who cover a lot of ground defensively, I believe Barcelona can build a stronger defensive structure. 

Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo, and injury free Alejandro Balde will be crucial in covering up the ground during opponent transitions. Koundé on the right side defensively against any winger is a seal.

We saw how he pocketed the best of the best last season in all club competitions and even took his defensive duty up a notch in the Euros, winning MOTM in the quarters against Belgium and had City winger Jeremy Doku in his pocket through the entire match. Three of Doku's four attempted tackles and five of his eight duels were futile.

FC Barcelona with the three musketeers at full back can work together to close down opponents quickly and give them little time to control the ball. Once Barça wins it back, they can focus on quick transitions.

This is the area where FC Barcelona needs to challenge Real Madrid. The capital club have their strengths, but compact defensive with quick transitions is where the club can gain an advantage.

Thankfully, Hansi Flick is known for his expertise in creating effective defensive systems. And with the arrival of Dani Olmo, renowned for picking pockets of space through quick dribbles, sensational first touches, and dazzling creativity, as we saw in the Euros, FC Barcelona is the team to beat this season.