Hansi Flick satisfied with the three points

Status after the victory

Flick expressed satisfaction with the three points earned but reiterated that the team still has room for improvement: “The most important thing is the three points, although there is still room for improvement.” He acknowledged that the opponent posed difficulties and that Barça managed the strong start well, but failed in the finishing: “We did many things well and others that were not so good. We had an opponent that wanted the ball and it was not easy. We wanted to press them at the beginning and we did because we scored two goals.” He added: “I think we generated many chances and did not convert them all. If we had taken better advantage of the chances, we would have finished 6-2.”

Absence of Pedri and squad management

Regarding Pedri´s absence, Flick admitted that the injury surprised them: “The injury surprised us. Now we don’t have him and we have to manage it. The players have done well.” In that context, he celebrated the attitude of those who have stepped up in his absence: he especially praised Fermín López and Marcus Rashford for their offensive contributions, and moderated expectations about Lamine Yamal, noting that he is in a phase of improvement after discomfort: “He is fine. I just spoke with him. Some days he feels some discomfort. He is improving and working hard. He is evolving well.”

Next steps and challenges

Flick made it clear that, despite the victory, he is not settling: the team must continue to grow to stay in the fight for their goals. He also acknowledged that the squad is committed and aware that rotations and recoveries will be key: “When not everyone is available to play, it is not easy to manage. It makes it more complicated for them to reach their best level.” He also noted that matches like the upcoming one against Elche CF will be demanding, and warned that they must maintain high intensity, without errors, to continue accumulating victories.