FC Barcelona is not yet exuding great confidence in La Liga, but is marching from victory to victory and has been the new leader in Spain since Sunday. Hansi Flick was particularly enthusiastic about one returnee.
FC Barcelona had been eagerly awaiting this spectacle on Saturday afternoon, of course – Atletico surprised Real in the city derby with a convincing performance and a 5-2 victory. Barcelona, behind their previously undefeated rivals Real, were finally lying in wait.
And head coach Hansi Flick’s team took immediate advantage of the first opportunity to take the lead in La Liga. Once again, Barcelona fell behind early on, only to show their morale and turn the game around. “It was a team victory,” praised Flick, who also paid tribute to opponents Real Sociedad: “They knew how to play, and it was a difficult task, but we deserved it.” Defender Jules Koundé countered the opening goal from former Munich player Alvaro Odriozola before the break (43′). After the break, it was once again Flick’s substitutes who had a decisive influence on the game. And it was this special return that the fans had been longing for: Lamine Yamal had been on the pitch for less than 120 seconds when he beat former Dortmund player Sergio Gomez and set up Robert Lewandowski perfectly. 2-1 and thus the fifth competitive win in a row.
“I’m delighted about his return—we all are,” Flick admitted, unsurprisingly: “He quickly proved that he is exceptional. It’s great to have him back. Everyone saw how good Lamine is.” However, his performance should not detract from that of the entire team. “Everyone did a great job,” said Flick: “We had a 68-hour break since the last game, and it’s incredible that all the players are performing at their best.”
The Blaugrana’s German head coach spoke of the “pride” he feels when he looks at his team. It was immediately apparent that Lamine Yamal was taking the already high quality to another level. He now has 31 assists in 110 games. But this assist was also special for another reason: for striker Lewandowski, it was his 700th career goal, breaking yet another barrier.
The 37-year-old still doesn’t seem satisfied. He currently has 105 goals in 154 games for Barcelona. Lewandowski would certainly welcome another goal against PSG in Wednesday’s Champions League clash. Lamine Yamal could then possibly be back in the starting lineup.