FC Barcelona wants to get back on track quickly after losing 3-0 in London during the week. Coach Hansi Flick is already radiating optimism again for the home game against Alaves.
There was no shortage of criticism of FC Barcelona this week. The Catalans lost 3-0 to Chelsea FC and dropped to 18th place in the Champions League. As things stand, even the play-offs are in jeopardy. But Hansi Flick is not letting himself be infected by such hysteria.
“When we lose and concede three goals, it’s easy to say it wasn’t a good game,” the former national coach made clear at Friday’s matchday press conference: “It seems as if the defense is to blame, and that’s not fair. If we don’t all apply pressure, we’ll run into problems.”
After all, defense and attack are always a collective effort. However, Flick currently sees room for improvement, particularly in attack, and is hoping for a return to “training mode”: “I want to see what I see in training and what I like. Our players show quality, they are focused.”
Despite the setback at Stamford Bridge, Flick believes his team is in a “good phase” and that there is a “good atmosphere” in the dressing room. At the same time, the 60-year-old ‘threatened’ Alaves and upcoming opponents: “Pedri, Raphinha, and Marcus Rashford are back. They will help us move forward.”
Fans are particularly excited about the return of Pedri, who has been out with a thigh injury since the end of October. “He will play a few minutes in the second half, but will not be in the starting lineup,” Flick said.
Raphinha is no less important. “I’ve missed him,” Flick admitted openly: “He’s one of the most important players in the team, fits in with our style and has a very positive influence on our game. He’s hungry and, after a great last season, now wants to show how good he is.”
Flick demands the best version of Lamine Yamal
Finally, Flick, who confirmed that Ronald Araujo would be out for the weekend due to illness, spoke about Lamine Yamal. He had not made an impact against Chelsea and was not particularly thrilled when he was substituted in the 80th minute: “Many players are not happy when they are substituted. I was also a player and often didn’t react as I should have.“ He said he had no reason to be upset about the top performance of his opponent Marc Cucurella. ”He is one of the best fullbacks in the world and very intelligent.“
Nevertheless, Lamine Yamal now has to ”show his best level” again. Which would mean more bad news for Alaves.