FC Barcelona continued on their winning ways last night as they emerged victorious in the Barcelona derby against RCD Espanyol. The Blaugranes came out as 3-1 winners in this game, with Dani Olmo scoring a brace and Raphinha adding another goal to his tally.
With this win, Barcelona are set to retain their dominant position on the top of the table, and took their gap over Real Madrid to 9 points, as the Merengues’ match was postponed due to the DANA floods.
But despite this good position, Hansi Flick was not totally convinced by the level shown by his team in this game. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German tactician identified some areas of concern as he talked to the media after the match:
“A derby is always tough. In the first half, we showed a good level, but overall, we didn’t play as we usually do; we lost too many balls, and it cost us in the second half. For today, fine, I can understand a slight lapse in concentration. But for Wednesday, we’ll need more strength.”
“The important thing is the victory, and I’d highlight the focus of all the players in the first half, some of them very young. Then we dropped off in the second half, which is normal as we’re having a great season.”
The German tactician also opened up on the increased competition in the midfield following the returns of players like Frenkie de Jong and Gavi from their injuries:
“Blessed problem… We’ll play with six midfielders… Just kidding. I’m really happy to have more players available, but we need to be cautious with Gavi, who’s coming back from injury, as well as Frenkie, Fermín, and Dani. I’m very pleased with Dani’s two goals, but Fermín also has that attacking edge.”
Some key Barcelona players were expected to get some rest tonight, but the attackers Lewandowski and Yamal remained in the game till the final whistle, while Raphinha was subbed out only in the last moments of the game. Commenting on this subject, Flick said:
“I noticed the focus waning in the second half, and I wanted to make minimal changes. I focused on the midfielders. The front three also didn’t have their best day. I’ll say it’s acceptable for today, but on Wednesday, we’ll need more.”
Once again, the offside trap came to Barcelona’s aid as Espanyol had two of their goals ruled out. When asked about such a risky approach to his defense, Flick said:
“It’s part of our identity; you need to know how to track back. In the second half, we didn’t press the ball carrier enough, and that caused us some issues.”
The German manager did not disclose the reason for Kounde’s benching, but praised Fort for his performance: “Fort is on the right path, he’s confident in himself, and he knows what he needs to improve. We’re going to need every player.”
