The Japan Times - How Flick's Barca wrestled La Liga back from Real Madrid

Hansi Flick's hugely entertaining side beat Espanyol 2-0 to take the crown with two matches to spare.

AFP Sport breaks down the ways the German coach helped the Catalan giants reclaim the Spanish throne from arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Awesome attack

Flick's thrilling attacking outfit this season have shredded nearly every side to cross their path.

Barcelona scored 97 goals in 36 games to power to the title, 23 more than second-placed Real Madrid.

A 7-0 thrashing of Valladolid in August set out their intentions, and they hit four goals or more in 13 league matches.

The brilliant Lamine Yamal, still only 17, excelled, feeding veteran striker Robert Lewandowski and dynamic winger Raphinha.

The Brazilian, who Flick convinced to stay at the club, had his best ever season and credits his coach with changing his career.

Yamal provided the most assists in Spain with 13, while Lewandowski notched 25 goals and Raphinha got 18 while setting up nine himself.

Flick's high defensive line has been a key feature of the team's approach, which sometimes costs them at the back, but largely keeps opponents under pressure, including Madrid in last weekend's Clasico.

"For 24 minutes Real Madrid didn't touch the ball in our half... how we press them when they have the ball, it's unbelievable... we can be very proud of that," said Flick.

Mentality shift

Flick's predecessor Xavi Hernandez made every excuse under the sun -- and even including the sun -- last season as Barcelona failed to win a single trophy.

This year the Catalans claimed a domestic treble and Flick has largely insisted on avoiding blaming external factors when his team has struggled.

That helped Barcelona players realise that what they achieve, or not, is up to them and has given them the strength to turn around adverse situations.

Barca have pulled off several impressive comebacks this season, including from two goals down against Real Madrid to triumph 4-3 in the most recent Clasico on May 11.

"The team's mentality is incredible," said Flick after securing a fourth Clasico victory from four meetings this season.

Furthermore the team no longer looks weighed down by expectations or pressure and instead are focused on enjoying themselves on the pitch -- contributing to their attractive, flair-filled football.

Perfect Pedri

Pedri Gonzalez has a strong case for being the world's best midfielder right now and after injury-ravaged years him staying fit for the whole season has been vital for Barca.

"For me, Pedri is absolutely incredible -- I'm on my knees for him," said former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.

The Canary Islander, 22, has been the heartbeat of Flick's Barca, both in an attacking sense but also defensively, given the team operates without a holding midfielder following injuries to Marc Bernal and Marc Casado.

Pedri's lithe form and quick-thinking allows him to get out of trouble quickly and helps Barca spring forward on the counter.

Levels raised

Flick boosted Barcelona's fitness levels and confidence across the board and his faith in players who struggled last season has been paid back in spades.

The German insisted on keeping Eric Garcia and the centre-back has impressed when given opportunities, even playing out of position.

Ferran Torres has helped the stellar forward trio rest and is the team's third top goalscorer and third top assist provider in La Liga.

Most importantly, Inigo Martinez struggled last season but has been a cornerstone of the defence alongside teenager Pau Cubarsi, becoming a true leader.

Winter blues bounce-back

Despite an excellent start to the season, in November and December last year Barcelona slumped.

The Catalans won just once in a seven-match spell in that period, losing against minnows Leganes and Las Palmas at home.

Their lead crumbled, with Atletico usurping them after beating Barca just before Christmas.

Flick took action, deploying the fit-again Frenkie de Jong in midfield over Casado and installing Wojciech Szczesny in goal in place of Inaki Pena.

Barcelona came back strongly and went on a run of 24 matches unbeaten over all competitions to get back in the driving seat for the title.

H.Takahashi--JT