When Iñigo Martínez walked out the door last summer, FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick faced what looked like a defensive crisis with no easy fix. The Spanish star had been a rock alongside Pau Cubarsí the previous season, and suddenly, the backline felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.
Flick tried everything. He shuffled through Ronald Araújo and Eric García, testing different combos in search of stability. But the defense remained shaky and unreliable, leaving fans and pundits questioning how Barcelona would hold up in La Liga.
Then came a bold move that changed everything. Flick decided to pair Gerard Martín with Cubarsí in central defense, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. This tweak has become the backbone of Barcelona's impressive league run.
According to a recent report from MARCA, the Cubarsí-Martín partnership is Barcelona's best and most dependable pairing this season—and the gap isn't even close. The numbers tell a story of dominance: Barcelona has never lost a La Liga match with this Catalan duo anchoring the defense. Yes, you read that right—zero losses.
It all started on November 22nd, when Barcelona returned to the Spotify Camp Nou for the first time. Flick unleashed Cubarsí and Martín together in central defense for the first time, and the result was a commanding 4-0 victory with a clean sheet. That performance set the tone for what has become a season-defining partnership.
Since that day, Flick has stuck with the Catalan pairing, making only forced tactical adjustments when necessary. And the stats are eye-opening. In 15 La Liga starts together, Cubarsí and Martín have conceded just nine goals—an average of 0.6 per game. That's remarkable, especially given the early-season skepticism about Barcelona's high defensive line.
Perhaps most impressively, nine of Barcelona's 14 clean sheets in La Liga this season have come with this duo on the pitch. For a team that prides itself on defensive solidity, Cubarsí and Martín have become the gold standard. Whether you're a die-hard Barça fan or just love a good underdog story, this partnership is proof that sometimes, the best solutions come from unexpected places.