Let's start with Barça. Flick’s arrival was heralded as a new dawn for high-octane football at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The idea was a relentless press, suffocating opponents, much like his Bayern Munich side that steamrolled Europe. And for stretches, especially early in the season, you saw glimpses. Their PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) dropped to an average of 9.2 in the first ten league games, a significant decrease from Xavi’s final season average of 11.5. Frenkie de Jong, finally unleashed as the primary ball-winner in midfield, was averaging 8.3 successful pressures per 90 minutes, up from 6.9 the previous year. But here’s the rub: consistency.
Teams quickly figured out how to bypass it. Long balls over the top, targeting Flick's relatively slow center-back pairing of Ronald Araujo and Iñigo Martínez, became the blueprint. Girona, in their stunning 3-1 win at home against Barça in November, specifically exploited this, with Artem Dovbyk latching onto two direct passes from Daley Blind for prime scoring opportunities. Barcelona’s pressing intensity often waned after the 60-minute mark, particularly in away fixtures. Their pressing success rate, which measures how often a team regains possession within five seconds of a pressure, hovered around 28% for the season, a far cry from the 35% that peak pressing sides typically achieve. It was high-energy, yes, but not always high-efficiency.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, had a different challenge: fitting Mbappé into an already potent attack. Carlo Ancelotti isn't known for radical tactical shifts, and he didn't deviate much from his 4-3-3 shape. The primary adjustment wasn’t a systemic overhaul, but rather a slight repositioning of Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham to accommodate Mbappé's preferred left-wing starting position, allowing him to cut inside. Vinicius often shifted to the right or played as a false nine, depending on the opponent. The impact on their build-up was fascinating. Real Madrid’s average possession actually dipped slightly to 58.7% from 61.2% in 2024-25, indicating a more direct approach once they won the ball.
The numbers don't lie. Real Madrid’s long pass percentage increased from 11.8% to 13.5%, often targeting the blistering pace of Vinicius or Mbappé in transition. Their expected goals (xG) per shot rose to 0.13, up from 0.11 the previous season, suggesting fewer speculative efforts and more high-quality chances created from quick breaks. Mbappé, with 28 league goals, was the obvious beneficiary. But their PPDA remained relatively high at 10.8, indicating a more selective press than Barcelona’s. Ancelotti’s Madrid still prioritized defensive solidity and lethal counter-attacks over a sustained high-press, a testament to his pragmatic genius, or perhaps, a slight aversion to risk.
Atlético Madrid's evolution under Diego Simeone was, as always, the most intriguing. After years of the low block and counter, and a brief flirtation with more possession-based football that never quite stuck, Simeone seemed to find a new balance. They weren't pressing as high as Barcelona, nor as selectively as Real. Their PPDA settled at a comfortable 10.1, a slight decrease from their 2024-25 average of 10.6, but their defensive actions in the middle third of the pitch significantly increased. Koke, still the orchestrator, was recovering more balls (7.1 per 90) in central areas than ever before.
What really stood out was their build-up play. Atlético traditionally went long or played through João Félix's individual brilliance. In 2025-26, there was a concerted effort to play out from the back with more purpose. Jan Oblak’s short pass completion rate jumped to 82% from 76% the season prior, reflecting a shift. They were still masters of the quick transition, but they added layers. Marcos Llorente's average touches in the opposition box went from 3.5 to 4.2 per game, indicating he was getting into more advanced positions during sustained attacks, not just breakaways. This was Simeone embracing a slightly more proactive possession game, without sacrificing the defensive steel that defines them. It was a 3-5-2 with wing-backs like Nahuel Molina and Samuel Lino providing genuine width in attack, pushing higher than in previous seasons.
Comparing across the top six, the tactical diversity was evident. Real Betis, under Manuel Pellegrini, maintained a possession-dominant style with a high PPDA of 12.0, relying on control and patient build-up. Real Sociedad, with Imanol Alguacil, continued their energetic, quick-passing game, their PPDA of 9.5 putting them closer to Barcelona’s pressing intensity but with better defensive transitions. Sevilla, in a rebuilding year, often fluctuated, but generally aimed for a mid-block and counter, their PPDA around 11.2.
Real talk: Flick’s Barcelona press was more hype than substance in 2025-26. It looked good on paper, but the execution lacked the sustained ferocity needed to dominate La Liga. Ancelotti, as usual, got the job done with Real Madrid by maximizing individual talent rather than reinventing the wheel. Simeone, the old dog, actually taught himself some new tricks, finding a hybrid system that was arguably the most tactically astute evolution of the season.
Next season, don't be surprised if Atlético Madrid, having finally integrated a more flexible attacking approach with their traditional defensive prowess, lifts the title.
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